


An Ever-Fixed Mark

by TheFrenchPress



Series: Sonnet 116 [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Slice of Life, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:53:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 86,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28384326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFrenchPress/pseuds/TheFrenchPress
Summary: During the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione Granger makes the decision to go back for the severely injured Severus Snape, saving his life and setting them both on a new path for the future.This story is a (completed) work in progress - rating for later chapters.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Series: Sonnet 116 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161554
Comments: 215
Kudos: 382





	1. The End

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

_Let me not to the marriage of true minds_ _  
Admit impediments. Love is not love  
Which alters when it alteration finds,  
Or bends with the remover to remove:  
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,  
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;  
It is the star to every wandering bark,  
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.  
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks  
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;  
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,  
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.  
If this be error and upon me proved,  
I never writ, nor no man ever loved._

_-_ _William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116_

\--

_‘Take… it… Take… it…’_

Blood. There had been so much blood. It had been spilling from the wound. Onto the floor. All over Harry, then the silvery strands had leaked from everywhere – his ears, mouth… eyes.

Hermione had been quick, reaching into her beaded bag and summoning an empty flask. She had pushed it into his hand so that they could capture the memories that man before them was desperately, frantically trying to give them. It wasn’t long before the flask was full and stoppered, and the hand grasping at Harry’s robes had slackened.

_‘Look… at… me…’_

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the horrible memory as she ran. Her breath was coming in short pants as she desperately tried to get back. If she could just get back there… If she could just reach him, maybe she could do something… something to stop him from dying.

_‘Harry, I think I dropped something back in the boathouse. I’m going to quickly go back and check. Don’t wait for me, I’ll meet you both back at the castle.’_

Hermione reached the bottom of the hill and crawled back through the tunnel. When she came up at the other end, adrenaline ripped her back up into the room. She whipped her head around, scanning the room for him. All she could smell was blood, dust, and mould. Her eyes locked onto his form, still where they had left him just minutes before. She launched herself across the room at him, hastily grasping for her wand casting a powerful healing spell and a cleansing spell to get rid of as much of the blood around them as she could. She tore away the other side of his collar, pressing her fingers firmly against the uninjured side of his throat to see if there was even a hint of a pulse.

She felt it. It was barely a flutter, but she had found one.

She stuck her hand into her purse and summoned a blood replenishment potion, uncorking and pressing the flask to the cold, pale lips of Severus Snape and praying she was not too late. She massaged his throat, trying to coax the fluid down so that his body could start regenerating its severely depleted blood supply. She paused, waiting and praying that the magic would do its work.

‘Come on, Professor,’ she whispered. ‘Please don’t die.’

She had all but given up hope, slumping to the floor beside him when she heard him draw a deep but raspy breath, gasping for air like a man that had been suffocating. He probably had on his own damn blood. After a few minutes the heavy gasping ceased, and Snape’s breathing evened out. She checked his pulse again. It was stronger already.

Hermione summoned a bottle of dittany and a second blood replenishing vial from her bag and eased his mouth open once more, repeating her earlier actions. Her hands were trembling. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was anxious or because she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. Next she applied the dittany to the side of his neck where the wounds were still open and oozing. While the initial healing spell had temporarily stemmed the bleeding, it was going to be difficult to heal a giant snake bite from a creature that had not existed prior to its creation by Voldemort. She had never worked against magic or poison like this before.

Once she had finished applying the dittany, she used her wand to charm a few strips of cloth using Snape’s robe. She cast the strongest cleansing charm she knew and set about the task of binding the wound on his throat. As she was tying it off, just firmly enough that it would stem any more bleeding if it began again, but not so tight that his breathing would be impeded, she was startled as his hand wrapped around her wrist.

‘Oh my God, Professor!’ She exclaimed softly, her heart pounding in her throat as her eyes flew up to look at his face.

His eyes were opening and fixating on her face. ‘Miss… Granger…’ he began, his voice raspy.

‘Shhhhh,’ she whispered softly, pushing his hair back from his face. ‘You’re okay. Thank Merlin, you’re okay.’

‘Port-key,’ he said roughly, releasing her wrist, his movements sluggish. His hand reached into the pocket of his frock coat.

Hermione halted his movements with a gentle hand. ‘Let me,’ she urged. She reached into the pocket and withdrew a brooch. It was old and battered and had a porcelain cameo on the front surrounded by what looked like brass. ‘How do I activate it?’

Snape lifted his hand once more and covered Hermione’s hand that held the brooch. She scooted in closer, pocketing her wand and clinging to him tightly so that they would not be separated by the portkey journey.

‘Viaggio,’ he said as clearly as he could with his injuries.

Hermione felt the familiar unpleasant pull at her navel and closed her eyes. She hated to travel by Portkey, but in this instance it was necessary. It didn’t take long for her to feel the floor beneath them once more as they firmly landed, the breath being knocked from her lungs. She opened her eyes to see that they were in another house and looked around to take it in as well as ensure that they were alone.

She assumed that they were in Snape’s home, although she had no idea where that actually placed them. Hermione was startled from her musings when she felt her hand being gently squeezed and she turned to look back down at Snape, who’s upper body was resting on her lap. She could see that the strips of cloth at his neck was beginning to bloom with a little blood.

‘Sir, do you have anything here that I can find to help you?’

Snape nodded; his eyes closed. He must have been so tired, and the blood loss wasn’t helping. ‘Upstairs… bathroom,’ he said, his voice rough. ‘Antivenin.’

Gently, Hermione eased the man off her lap, pulling off the sweater she was wearing and tucking it under his head as a makeshift pillow. She ran up the stairs, taking two at a time and guessed which bathroom Snape might be talking about. She found what she assumed was the master bedroom and the en-suite attached and threw open the cabinets and drawers, rifling through them until she found a vial labelled ‘Antivenin’, another labelled ‘Dreamless Sleep’ and some bandages. Making her way back down to him, she summoned a glass, and spelled it full of water with a quick ‘Aguamenti.’

Carefully, she pressed the antivenin vial to his lips and helped to pour it into his mouth, pleased that he seemed to be able to swallow on his own now. She let him have a small sip of water in between to wash the foul taste down. She then removed the strips of fabric so that she could survey the damage to his throat once more. It was not as bad as it had been just ten minutes before. She found the dittany in her bag once more, and carefully used a little of the bandage fabric and some water to clean away the blood and fluid she found, reapplying the dittany before wrapping the wound with the remaining bandage.

‘I brought a Dreamless Sleep with me as well, and I think you should take it and let your body rest so that the potions I’ve given you can do their work,’ she said to Snape, whose eyes he opened and were fixated on her once more.

He nodded just barely in agreement. ‘Water?’

Hermione eased his head up and onto her lap once more to prop him up so that he could drink. She let him have small sips from the glass until it was empty. She then held up the vial of Dreamless Sleep, and he swallowed that too.

‘I’m going to levitate you upstairs to your bed so you can rest,’ she informed him.

Hermione pulled out her wand and they slowly made their way up stairs and through the doorway of his room. She pulled the bed clothes down and lowered him onto the bed, removing his boots before pulling the covers back over him.

‘I have to go now, but I want to come back and check on you later… when this is all over. How do I get back here?’

‘Spinner’s… End,’ he rasped. ‘Cokeworth.’

Hermione nodded, looking at the small watch on her wrist. She had been gone for forty minutes already and was certain Harry and Ron would be worried about her by this point. ‘I’ll be back later. Rest now.’

Snape nodded wearily at her, and she could see that his eyes were beginning to droop from as the Dreamless Sleep took hold of him.

Hermione was relieved that he seemed to be stable, and sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes and Apparated back to Hogwarts. She found herself just inside the base of the Whomping Willow. It was eerily quiet there. Voldemort’s chilling announcement about pausing to gather the dead came back to the forefront of her mind. She had been so focussed on making sure Snape lived that she didn’t have time to think about those who had fallen.

She followed the people making their way into the Great Hall, and from the silence interspersed with the sound of sobs and grief she knew that this is where they had moved the bodies of the injured and dead. She scanned the hall as she entered and finally saw the throng of red haired family. As she neared, Hermione felt her stomach bottom out with shock and sadness. Molly Weasley was on the ground, her body slung over the motionless body of Fred, with Arthur beside her, tears running down his face, his hand rubbing small circles over his wife’s back. Tears blurred her vision. She saw Ginny was off to the side, her head hung low and shoulders shaking.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Hermione told her friend, putting an arm around her in comfort as the tears finally slid down her cheeks.

It seemed that only served to break down the fragile dam wall that Ginny had erected, as no sooner had she said it, Ginny flung her arms around Hermione for comfort, sobbing loudly. They clung to one another, taking comfort and finally allowing themselves to give into the grief of the past months and all of the horrible things that had happened until that point – mourning the loss of their youth. After a few minutes, Hermione pulled back, scrubbing at her cheeks with the back of her hand so wipe away some of the tears.

Clearing her throat, Hermione put a hand on Ginny’s shoulder. ‘Where did Harry go?’

Ginny’s eyes widened at the question. ‘Oh God, I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in a while – with Fred, and Remus and Tonks too we haven’t been… we’ve been distracted.’

Hermione nodded, anxiety gnawing at her. ‘You need to be with your family and the other kids here need someone strong like you to talk to,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m going to try and find Harry – I’m sure he is here somewhere.’

The younger woman paused but nodded. Hermione knew that despite her sadness, Ginny was a very practical person. She loved and was likely worried for Harry, but there would be time for the two of them later – when it was all over. Dashing out of the Hall, Hermione made her way to the place she was certain Harry would go. He had the vial of Snape’s memories and she was sure that he’d be trying to find a way to view them. The castle must have sensed her mission, as the stairwells moved accommodatingly, helping her to arrive at her destination swiftly.

It wasn’t long before she stood in front of the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster’s office – Snape’s office, and Dumbledore’s before him. She had no idea what the password would be. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as was her nervous habit and chewed thoughtfully. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

‘I need to see the office, please,’ she implored the stone figure before her. ‘I do not know the password, but I can assure you that I am on the Headmaster’s side.’

She heard stone grind against stone suddenly, and her eyes flew open in surprise. The staircase was winding to reveal itself for her, and she hurriedly launched herself onto them, going up as far as she could before standing and allowing the stairs to spiral her the rest of the way up. She could not believe that begging the stone statue would work, but she had a feeling that the magic in the castle knew that she would cause no harm. When it reached the top and the door to the office was before her, Hermione pressed a hand to the stone and whispered her thanks before pulling open the heavy wooden door and slipping inside.

Whatever Hermione had expected, it was not that the office would be largely unchanged, with one exception - the portraits of all the former Headmaster’s were blank and abandoned including that of Dumbledore himself. She assumed they were elsewhere in the castle, trying to get a look at what was happening outside. She saw the pensieve immediately on the desk, the vial she had given to Harry had been discarded on the floor nearby.

She approached the desk warily, unsure of what to expect. Harry had been there, that much was clear, but he was not any longer. She picked up the flask and hunted around to find the cork before stepping up to the bowl of swirling silver-blue memories. She dipped the tip of her wand in them, harnessing her magic to pull them for the bowl before directing them back into the waiting flask. These were Snape’s private memories, and it would not do to leave them where just anyone could find them. They needed to be preserved… kept safe for later when they would no doubt be needed.

Satisfied that she had gathered them all, Hermione corked up the flask and slid it into her beaded bag for safe keeping.

She had briefly considered out of sheer curiosity taking a look at the memories, but she did not out of respect for Snape’s privacy. He had given them to Harry – not her or anyone else, so she did not feel it was right to invade his privacy that way. She glanced around to see if there was any clue as to where her dark-haired friend had gotten to, sighing heavily. It had not been a fruitless endeavour, but she was annoyed that it hadn’t been so easy to find Harry.

She rushed back down the stairs and out of the office, taking the stairs two at a time until she skittered back into the corridor, making her way back down to the ground level of the castle. Where did he go? She was about to head back into the Great Hall to see if she had missed him there when she saw Neville pacing around in the doorway. He appeared to be deep in thought, but she figured she would at least ask.

‘Neville,’ she interrupted softly. ‘Have you seen Harry?’

Neville snapped his eyes onto her face and a look in his eyes made her feel like perhaps she wasn’t crazy to have asked him. ‘Neville, it’s important.’

‘He asked me not to say…’

‘I’ll bet he did, damn it, Harry!’ she exclaimed in annoyance. He just had to charge off on his own and try to save the whole damn wizarding world without anyone’s help.

‘He had his invisibility cloak,’ Neville added.

Well at least he was of sound enough mind to conceal himself. Hermione knew he must have gone to the Forbidden bloody Forest to give himself up to Voldemort to save everyone else. She had no idea how things were going to go down, but she knew that there was a solid chance that she was never going to see her best friend again.

A chilling breeze whipped through the front doors of the Entrance Hall, and Hermione paced for a moment while she decided what to do.

She knew that it would be of no help to Harry if she blindly raced after him, and there was still the matter of making sure that Nagini would be destroyed as well. She and Ron were going to have to see to that. She needed to find Ron and they needed to be prepared. She returned to the Great Hall and noticed that it was busier with people healing the wounded and for the most part everyone had finished with mourning for the time-being. There would be time for that later – they were still in the midst of a battle after all.

She located Ron standing with Bill and Fleur, and tugged on his sleeve, gesturing for him to go with her. His eyes were a lot sharper now; more focussed. He followed her towards the doors that led out to the main entrance.

‘We have to be ready when the fighting starts again. That snake has to die tonight so that we can be sure there is no way Voldemort can come back.’

Ron nodded.

And so, they waited, in eerie silence for the fighting to pick up where it had left off. They did not have to wait long. Minerva McGonagall bustled into the Entrance Hall, with Filius Flitwick, the Charms Master, hot on her heels. Something was happening outside – they must have been alerted by those on watch.

Wordlessly, she and Ron followed, hanging back just a little so that they were not in the way. And that’s when they saw it – the Death Eater’s flanking their master as they trudged towards the castle. They had Hagrid. He was walking behind Voldemort, carrying a dark form with both arms outstretched. With as must distance as there was between them, it was still too far for her to make out. As they drew closer however, she heard a scream that curdled the blood in her veins come from the one person she never would have expected to make such a sound.

She cast her eyes over to McGonagall briefly, before looking back to the approaching horde. It was Harry – Hagrid was carrying the limp form of Harry Potter.

She sobbed audibly, his name tumbling out of her mouth.

Hermione could hear Ron shouting beside her, Ginny’s voice also joined and soon she found the red head in her arms, sobbing.

‘SILENCE!’

Voldemort’s voice was amplified, a bang and a flash of bright light accompanied his command. ‘Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!’

Everything, all of the sounds and voiced became muffled and blurry in Hermione’s head as the evil creature who had Harry’s lifeless body at his feet continued to address them. She couldn’t see or hear anything except for a deafening loudness as tears blurred her vision. Until finally there was another much louder bang and flash of light that emitted for Voldemort’s wand again, startling her from her stupor, and she could see that Neville was on the ground between those at the castle, and Voldemort and his Death Eater’s. 

_‘And who is this?’ Voldemort hissed. ‘Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?’_

_Hermione heard a sharp, familiar cackle from the Death Eater hoard. Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forward, her hair an insane reflection of the psychopath within._

_‘It is Neville Longbottom, my lord! The one who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?’_

_‘Ah, yes, I remember,’ said Voldemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled in fists._ _  
  
‘So what if I am?’ said Neville loudly.  
  
‘You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.’  
  
"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.  
  
‘Very well,’ said Voldemort, and Hermione heard more danger in the silkiness of his voice than in the most powerful curse. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head,’ he said quietly, ‘be it.’  
_  
Hermione watched, frozen as Voldemort waved his wand. Seconds later, out of one of the castle's shattered windows, something that looked like a misshapen bird flew through the half-light and landed in Voldemort's hand. He shook the mildewed object by its pointed end, and it dangled, empty and ragged: The Sorting Hat.  
  
_"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," said Voldemort. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"_  
  
Voldemort pointed his wand at Neville, who became rigid with a silently cast immobilising spell, then forced the hat onto Neville's head, so that it slipped down below his eyes. There were movements from the watching crowd in front of the castle, and as one, the Death Eaters raised their wands to hold the fighters of Hogwarts at bay.  
  
_"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," said Voldemort, and with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into flames.  
_  
Screams split the dawn, and Neville was a flame, rooted to the spot, unable to move.

And then many things happened at the same moment.  
  
Hagrid’s half-brother Grawp came hurdling around the side of the castle shouting at the top of his lings for Hagrid. The Death Eater ranks split as the battle resumed once more. Hermione grasped Ginny’s arm when she noticed that Harry’s body had disappeared somehow, but her focus was redirected as Neville appeared to break free and begin to move once more.  
  
_In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle - The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet, it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet._

‘HARRY!’ Hagrid’s voice boomed over the chaos. ‘HARRY! WHERE’S HARRY?’

The violence continued around them in spite of this and Hermione moved forward to action. There would be time later to worry about what had happened to Harry in the scuffle. She cast a succession of body-bind charms on a number of Death Eater’s with their backs to her as they fought her compatriots. It wasn’t long though until she came face-to-face with the insane bitch that had tortured and carved her up in Malfoy Manor, Ginny at her side.

‘If it isn’t the little Mudblood bitch who broke into my vault,’ Bellatrix sneered, a crooked smile on her lips. She was loving this. ‘And Harry Potter’s little girlfriend,’ she continued, looking at Ginny. ‘Too bad he’s dead.’

Hermione felt her blood boil but was too smart to be taken in by the evil taunts. ‘Why all the talk, Lestrange?’ she said evenly, hand tightening around her wand. ‘Let’s just get this over with.’

‘My pleasure,’ she said with a grin, slicing her wand through the air in their direction.

The spells came hard and fast, and Hermione could block or deflect most of them while also managing to get a few jinxes off herself. She was relieved when Luna joined both she and Ginny, casting most of the protective charms over them so that they were better able to send off more offensive spells. Bellatrix, in the meantime was having no trouble at all sending off dark spells in their direction while deflecting their own. She was evil, yes, but a force to be reckoned with if she could hold her own against the three of them.

Hermione thought she could feel the witch was started to slow her flurry of attacks, and it was then that the Unforgiveables began and a bolt of green light shot straight past Ginny, just barely missing her.

‘NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!’ Molly Weasley’s terrifying shout took them all by surprise, and she charged over to them, throwing her cloak off to free her arms. ‘OUT OF MY WAY!’

Hermione stepped back, taking both Luna and Ginny with her as they watched Molly cast spells faster and with more fury than she had ever seen or expected from her. It was an impressive display, and she watched as Mrs Weasley’s smile grew, and Bellatrix’s face began to form a scowl.

_"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"_ _  
  
Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two battles, Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly.  
  
"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"  
  
"You-- will-- never-- touch-- my-- children-- again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley._  
  
Bellatrix laughed the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and suddenly Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's constricted arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart. Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge; for the tiniest space of time, she knew what had happened, then she toppled, the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.  
  
McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn were blasted backward, flailing, and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury exploded with the force of a bomb at the fall of his last, best lieutenant. Voldemort raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley.  
  
"Protego!"

The shout came from the middle of the hall, and Hermione watched as the owner of the voice came suddenly into view as Harry threw his invisibility cloak off.  
  
The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of: "Harry!"  
  
"HE'S ALIVE!" 

Hermione felt her stomach bottom out in elated surprise. He lived. Thank God, he lived.

Harry began to speak, taunting Voldemort with the intimate knowledge of his plans, telling him of Snape’s loyalties to Dumbledore and the memory of his mother. It was tense, but enthralling, watching as they circled one another like animals waiting to pounce. Harry finally got to the moment Hermione had been anticipating. Harry revealed Dumbledore’s plan to Voldemort, detailing the information he knew about the Elder Wand from what they had learned from the story of the three brother’s and Olivander.

A flash of all-too-familiar green sparked out of Voldemort’s wand, as red came from the wand Harry was using.

‘AVADA KEDAVRA!’

‘EXPELLIARMUS!’

A deafening explosion followed as the two spells clashed and golden flames erupted between them. The Elder wand flew into the air, and as it fell, Harry caught it and held both wands in his hand. Voldemort’s body dropped to the floor with an unceremonious thud, his pale skin and bony countenance crumpled into a lifeless pile on the floor.

There was a moment of silent disbelief before the cheers erupted. It was loud and thundered upon them. Hermione rushed forwards towards Harry, reaching him at the same time as Ron, and flinging her arms around him, tears springing forth as relief washed over her. It didn’t take long before the remaining Order members joined and embraced Harry as one, the sniffles and exaltations of joy made it that nobody could really understand what was being said, but the general feeling was that of relief that it was finally over.

They were finally free.

\--

To be continued.

\--

A/N – Some passages have been taken directly from the original source material to help make it more realistic feeling. Most of these have been italicised to mark them differently with the exception of those I altered. From here on out, this story ignores the epilogue and I get to play with the characters. This is only my second story that I’m writing after a long break from fan fiction, so please be gentle with me! Big love to my beta's TheFauxMe & Sirsevchick for catching all of my mistakes!


	2. The Beginning

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

The Great Hall was buzzing with the sound of people talking, not quite the sombre tone that had loomed over them earlier.

Hermione walked with Harry and Ron back inside to join their friends and family after their brief detour to the Headmaster’s office. They quickly sought out the remaining Weasleys who were sitting at what used to be the Gryffindor table with McGonagall, Flitwick, and Aberforth Dumbledore. Before they sat, Hermione felt a hand on her elbow and turned to see Harry with a small frown on his face.

‘What happened to Snape’s memories?’ he asked.

Hermione reached into her little beaded bag and wordlessly summoned the vial containing the silvery-blue memories and held it out to show Harry they were safe.

‘I didn’t want to leave them up there where anyone could just lean in and find them. I think we need to keep these safe, and one day when things have calmed down, I think we need to make sure that Professor Snape’s name is exonerated, don’t you think?’

Harry nodded, putting his hand over hers and folding her fingers around the vial. ‘You should take care of them for now, and I promise I will do everything I can to make sure that people know Snape was a hero.’

She smiled, relieved. She had saved Snape, and Harry would make sure that the man could go free.

Admittedly, at the time of saving him, Hermione had no idea about Snape’s motivation or whether he was good or bad. She just had a strong feeling that their former professor was not the man he had portrayed himself to be for so many years. She sat down at the table and Ron joined beside her as Harry moved to the other side to sit with Ginny. Ron put his arm around her then and Hermione felt herself tense a little.

She had been anxiously awaiting the moment when Ron would want some sort of follow-up or explanation for their earlier kiss. For Hermione, it had been fuelled by adrenaline. Ron had been uncharacteristically thoughtful and selfless about the House Elves, and it had taken her so by surprise that she had flung herself at him and kissed him soundly. But it was just that – a kiss.

The very moment that Ron had abandoned she and Harry in the woods, she had been done. Any thoughts of a future with him had left with him that day because Hermione knew that he just wasn’t grown up, and the trust had been irrevocably broken. She still loved him, but those romantic feelings she had spent the entire previous year harbouring had fizzled, and now she just wanted to repair and continue with their friendship.

‘I’m so glad it’s finally over!’ Ron exclaimed, pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek.

‘I could use a sleep,’ Hermione replied, resisting the urge to wipe her face. She would have to tell Ron at some stage, but she couldn’t bring herself to hurt his feelings on a day when they had lost his brother and their dear friends Tonks and Lupin.

‘We’re all going to head to Grimmauld Place now that it’s safe, and divvy up the rooms there,’ he said, a hint of suggestion in his tone, a stain of blush creeping up his cheeks and forehead and into his hairline. ‘We could… stay together.’

Hermione clenched her jaw. ‘Oh, uh… I was actually not planning on going to Grimmauld Place. I actually wanted to go home and check on my parents’ house and see if it is still standing. I want to be sure so that I might be able to go find them and bring them home soon.’

‘I could come with you.’

Hermione shook her head decisively. ‘I appreciate the offer, but I need to do this alone. And you really should be with your family and Harry.’

‘Are you sure?’ he asked, looking a little disappointed.

‘I’m certain. I can handle myself, but I’m sure that I won’t have any trouble,’ she replied, reaching up the give the hand around her shoulders a squeeze. ‘I think I might head off now actually, and I will come to see you guys tomorrow or the day after while I get some of my affairs in order.’

Ron nodded without enthusiasm, but he knew better than anyone she was not a witch to be pushed.

She stood up from the table, dipping her head down to give Ron a small peck on the lips, but was caught off guard when he decided to turn his head and kiss her on the mouth. She pulled back, patting him on the arm before rounding the table to inform Harry she was leaving. She crouched between he and Ginny, putting her arms around both of them in a hug.

‘I’m going to my parents’ house to see what kind of condition it’s in. I explained to Ron I need a little time to myself and I want to rest and clean and prepare it so I might go find and bring my parents’ home if I can somehow reverse the memory spell. I don’t know how long that will take, but I will probably be gone for a couple of days,’ she said in hushed tones.

Ginny opened her mouth and looked like she was about to protest, but Harry spoke up first.

‘I understand. You had better take care of yourself, okay? And make sure you check in with us,’ he murmured.

‘I will come by Grimmauld Place soon. I’ll be sure to send you a note, so you know I’m alive.’

After wishing them goodbye, Hermione quickly left the hall and slid outside of the castle to Apparate. It had been hours since she had left Snape, and she really wanted to check in and make sure the man was okay. Closing her eyes, she pictured the inside of the house and thought of the address that Snape had given her earlier that evening. Inhaling a steadying breath, she Apparated with a soft crack, and when she opened her eyes, she was standing in front of the concealed staircase that led up to where Snape was hopefully still resting.

She tapped her wand against the wall and the staircase revealed itself to her and she took them two at a time as she hurried to see how her former professor was faring. She reached his bedroom and quietly pushed open the door, carefully ducking her head around to see. As she had hoped, Snape was still resting and he was on his back, still breathing, just has he had been when she left. She went into his bathroom and retrieved a little more of the bandage fabric, fished out some more dittany, and found a clean washcloth. She ran it under some warm water, wandering back in and very carefully sitting beside Snape’s sleeping form.

She cast a charm to levitate his top half up slightly, propping another pillow behind him to make it easier for her to clean and re-dress the wounded neck area. He didn’t stir as the Dreamless Sleep was doing its job and keeping him under, and probably would do until the next day. She removed the bandage from earlier and saw that the wound was still raw and bleeding but appeared a little better than it had earlier already. Nagini’s venom must have a strange magical signature that slowed down healing.

She pressed the warm washcloth to the wound site, mopping up dried blood, poison that his body had pushed out, and any other fluids that had seeped. She applied more dittany to the site and wrapped bandages around his neck once more before banishing any rubbish to the garbage downstairs and casting a cleansing charm on the washcloth. She placed the potions and spare bandages on the side table where Snape’s wand was still sitting untouched and walked out of the bedroom to have a look around.

Earlier, she had been too focussed on ensuring the Professor lived through his injuries and was settled to rest before returning to the battle at Hogwarts. Now, she would quickly get an idea of the layout of the house just in case that information would be important to her care of Snape. She found another few rooms upstairs. two that looked to be a guest rooms, and the other appeared to be an office of sorts with a desk and chair, more wall-to-wall bookshelves, and an antique wooden stand for an owl, although if Snape had one, it was certainly not there now.

She also found another bathroom with a toilet, which unlike the en-suite attached to Snape’s room, also had a large claw-footed bathtub. Whatever she had been expecting his home to be like, this certain was not it. The upstairs was so clean, modern and orderly. The front sitting room and entryway was old, dusty and gave the appearance of the house being utterly uncared for. She presumed that this was a ruse that if anyone were to break in, they would be disappointed with what they found.

The kitchen was through another hidden panel downstairs and it was probably one of the most clean, modern kitchens she had ever seen – fairly similar to the one at her parents’ home.

It was clear that she knew almost nothing about her former professor.

She sighed heavily and looked down at her hands. They were dirty and still covered in blood. She grimaced and cast a quick cleansing charm on herself. It wasn’t enough – she still felt dirty. But she would just have to leave it for now. She was feeling exhausted, and a yawn made her tremble. It was late, so she went to the shabby sitting room downstairs and grabbed a throw rug from one of the chairs, making her way back up to Snape’s room.

Once there, she pulled the large armchair in the corner of the room to sit close to Snape’s bed. She wanted to make sure that if he awoke, he knew he was not alone. Utterly drained, Hermione curled up on the chair and pulled the blanket over herself, tucking her feet up underneath her body.

It wasn’t long before her eyes began to droop and sleep finally claimed her.

Hermione slept deeply despite her awkward position sleeping in a chair in the bedroom of her former teacher. She had no idea how long she had been out for when she finally stirred from her slumber. She sat up suddenly, the blanket sliding off her and onto the floor. Rubbing her eyes to clear them, it took only a moment for her to take in her surroundings and her brain to remind her just where she was. She cast her eyes over to the bed and was surprised to see that Snape’s eyes were open and fixated on her.

She got up and walked over, sitting beside him on the bed and her hands immediately went to the bandages at his throat.

‘How are you feeling?’ she asked softly, her voice heavy with sleep and lack of use.

He reached his hand up and stilled hers that were working on the bandage removal. ‘Miss Granger,’ he said, his voice slightly raspy.

Hermione smiled broadly. ‘Oh!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’m so glad that you are able to speak!’

Snape’s chuckle at her remark was dry, and wholly unexpected. ‘It appears as though the world will not be rid of my sneers and cutting tongue for many years to come.’

He took his hands from hers and she continued to unwind the bandages and he moved forward slightly to assist her. ‘I think the world would be a much less interesting place without you, sir.’

‘Why?’ he asked, his eyes darting down to look at her hands.

Hermione knew exactly what he was asking. ‘Because nobody deserves to die alone in a filthy shack at the hands of a psychopath and his pet snake,’ she answered. ‘I just… for some reason I still trusted you and something inside told me I needed to do everything I could to help you.’

He closed his eyes at her admission. ‘I am not so certain I am as deserving of your faith,’ he said quietly. ‘In spite of the fact that I continued to serve Dumbledore’s cause after I took his life, I hardly think that absolves me of my many crimes committed in trying to prevent Riddle from taking over the wizarding world.’

‘The fact that you think you haven’t done enough to repent, is exactly the reason why you deserve the chance to have a life not overshadowed by a master,’ Hermione told him as she peeled back the last bit of bandage. ‘Now neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort can control you.’

His eyes opened as the words tumbled out of her mouth. ‘Potter showed you the memories then?’

Hermione shook her head as she examined the wound. It was greatly improved from the night before. The bleeding had finally stopped. It was still red and angry, and there would be some scars that might fade a little over time. But her efforts at cleaning and using the dittany were proving to be effective.

‘Harry alone saw the memories you gave him,’ she said, picking up the washer and standing up from the bed to walk around to the bathroom door. She quickly dampened the fabric before returning to Snape’s side, wiping away the dried blood and caked on fluids. ‘The memories you gave him are safe now though, and they will be used only to clear your name so that you can be free.’

She heard a sharp intake of breath from the man beside her. ‘I never thought that such a word would ever be applied to my life,’ he said sombrely.

‘Well, you’d better start getting used to the idea,’ she said, smiling at him as she applied some fresh dittany.

Once she was done, she decided to leave off the bandage and let the area breathe. ‘I think I’m done here for now,’ she announced, sitting back to survey her work and take in the rest of Snape now that she was more alert. ‘I’m sure you must be getting hungry by now. I’m a little peckish myself.’

‘I don’t expect you to continue taking care of me, Miss Granger,’ he said, frowning slightly. ‘As it is, I will never be able to repay you for saving my life as it is. I owe you a great debt.’

Hermione shook her head adamantly. ‘No more debts, if you please,’ she said firmly. ‘I think you’ve had quite enough of those and unbreakable vows for several lifetimes. I’m doing this because you need someone and, quite frankly, I need a break from the wizarding world for a little while. Nobody knows that either of us are here, and I intend for it to stay that way until you throw me out, or you are ready to re-enter it.’

‘Well then,’ he said, a sly smirk forming on his lips. ‘By all means, Healer Granger.’

‘There isn’t a lot of food here, so I think I might find somewhere nearby and buy some food. You are probably only going to be able to stomach soup for a couple of days, but I’m certain that I’ll be able to find something decent.’

‘There is a local pub that often has a variety of options just a block over,’ he murmured, his voice still a little rough from his injuries. It might take a little time for it to return to his normal velvet drawl.

‘Right then,’ she said, standing. ‘I’ll be back in a little while.’

She Disapparated with a crack, and soon found herself in the alleyway behind an old pub. She wandered around and walked inside and took a look at the menu near the bar. At some point she would find a grocer and get some ingredients to make food. She ordered a few different soups, a sandwich for herself, and some pot roast that she could store in the refrigerator and heat up for a later meal.

She sat at the bar to wait and took a moment to reflect on the past forty-eight hours of her life and what a blur everything had been. So many people had lost their lives in the battle. Every single person involved would have a whole bunch of damage, both in the form of bodily injuries, and heavy mental and emotional trauma. She had rescued Snape under her friends’ noses and snuck away to care for him. If she was honest, she was doing her best not to become overwhelmed.

She still hadn’t cried.

Not long after, the bar keeper brought two brown bags filled with food, and she paid using the Muggle currency that she’d kept for emergencies. She went back out and around to the alley, doing a sweep with her eyes to ensure nobody was watching or following her, and she Apparated back to Snape’s house, appearing in the kitchen she had investigated earlier. She put away all of the meals save for the ones she intended for them and found a bowl for the soup and plate for her sandwich. She nosed around and found a wooden breakfast try to load it all onto with some glasses of water and cutlery and carried it all up the stairs.

When she walked into Snape’s room, she found that he had fallen asleep again, but had rolled onto his left side.

Setting the tray down on the chair she had slept in, she very gently placed her hand on Snape’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. No sooner had she done that, he had rolled over swiftly and grasped her wrist in his hand tightly, almost painfully. She must have startled him in his vulnerable position, because he soon realised who it was and immediately let go.

‘Miss Granger, I apologise,’ he murmured, eyes cast down to his lap. ‘I am not used to having a guest in my home.’

She nodded in understanding, rubbing her wrist without realising it. It was probably going to bruise a little. ‘I brought… well given that it is five o’clock in the evening, I think we can safely call this meal dinner.’

She summoned the tray over to the bed and sat down with him. ‘I take it your arms are strong enough to feed yourself?’

He nodded, accepting the bowl of soup she handed to him. They ate in companionable silence, and when they were done, she banished the tray with the used dinnerware down to the kitchen. She would clean up later.

‘Miss Granger?’ he asked, breaking the silence.

‘Professor Snape,’ she replied, a hint of teasing in her voice.

‘I haven’t been your teacher in twelve months, girl. I think it might be infinitely preferable if you chose a different way to address me.’

‘I’ll call you Severus if you ditch the Miss Granger and call me Hermione?’

‘I’ll concede on this under one condition,’ he replied.

‘Name it.’

‘In public, I am certain your friends and our colleagues might be less disconcerted if we continued with formal address. I don’t care to be outed as being alive just yet, but I prefer to be prepared,’ he answered.

She nodded in agreement. ‘I can see your point. Of course, I will agree.’

‘Well then, Hermione,’ he said, testing out her name. ‘Tell me how we won.’

Hermione smiled then and launched into her recollection of what happened after she returned to the battle from his house. He listened patiently, laying back against the pillows as he took in the details, his eyes drooping a little as he did so. It was clear that the poison from Nagini had taken it out of him physically. When she was finished recounting, he closed his eyes and took a deep, even breath, exhaling before opening them once more.

‘You mean to tell me that Harry Potter defeated one of the wizarding world’s most loathsome and powerful wizards with a bloody disarming spell?’ he said, his voice low and dark. ‘Has that idiot learned nothing in the last seven years?

Hermione laughed, unable to believe that was what he had chosen to fixate on. ‘I suppose in retrospect it does seem a little anticlimactic.’

‘That is one word for it,’ he grumbled. ‘My next question; what does the brains of the Gryffindor trio plan to do now that this war is over? Aside from nurse her pet project to health,’ he added, pointing to himself.

‘I honestly haven’t a clue,’ she answered candidly. ‘I didn’t want to plan ahead in case I didn’t make it through this.’

Snape nodded in understanding. She knew he did not expect to live through the war despite the antivenin he had prepared and the illegal portkey. Their existence meant that he didn’t have zero hope, but she expected that he thought his chances to be very slim indeed.

‘What of your family?’ he asked.

‘I cast a memory charm on them and had their estate taken care of by the family lawyer. I planted the idea of going to Australia in their minds, removed myself from the equation, and bought them tickets and packed up all of their things to send there.’

‘That is very complex magic, Hermione,’ Snape said, frowning. ‘It is going to be difficult for you to set them to rights.’

‘I know,’ she said with a sigh. ‘I knew going in there was a chance I would not be able to reverse what I’ve done. I can only hope when I do get a chance to seek them out, I might be able to return what I took from them.’

‘I could assist you,’ he said, taking her by surprise.

‘How?’

‘I am a not-so-terrible Legilimens, which might come in handy if you have managed to simply bury the memories as opposed to removing them,’ he replied.

‘That is an interesting idea, and I may just have to take you up on that offer one day,’ Hermione said thoughtfully. She yawned then, quickly covering her mouth to stifle it. ‘Goodness, I might still be a little tired.’

‘Unsurprising given the physical and emotional challenge of the past twelve months,’ he stated.

‘At some stage I’m sure you are going to want more than the cleansing charm I can offer to you,’ she murmured. ‘But for now, it’s the best I can do. Would you like me to?’

Snape nodded slightly. ‘Perhaps tomorrow I will have more strength and be able to do more than just sit up in this blasted bed and feed myself. I suppose you have been taking care of my bathroom needs with a spell as well?’

Hermione nodded. ‘It seemed to be the easiest option until you can attend to that yourself.’

She quickly cast the couple of charms she needed to clean and relieve the man before of any of his body’s perfunctory needs. She noted now that he was awake and lucid, he bore an expression of mixed shame and annoyance that he was an invalid at this time. He was surprisingly patient and trusting of her.

‘All done,’ she said, standing from his bed. ‘Now, I hope you do not mind, but I did see there was a bathroom down the hall. I hate to rub it in, but in spite of being fairly accomplished with my cleansing charms, I feel disgusting and would like to bathe. I hope you don’t mind if I make use of the facilities?’

‘I can hardly deny you after all you’ve done for me the past twenty-four hours,’ he replied. ‘You should sleep in a real bed tonight too. Take the guest room next door – nobody should have to sleep in that armchair.’

‘Do you have a fireplace connected to the floo network?’ she asked.

Snape nodded. ‘The one in the upstairs office as well as the sitting room are both connected but warded. The password is _Plutarch_.’

Hermione nodded and summoned a glass of water from the kitchen before pressing it into Snape’s hands. ‘Drink all of this and leave the glass on the nightstand for me,’ she said rather bossily.

Snape sneered at her momentarily before taking a small sip to placate her. Hermione left the room then, taking her beaded bag with her to the bathroom. She found some clean towels in the utility linen drawer in the corner and thought to herself again that Snape’s home was rather beautiful and tastefully decorated. The bathroom was comprised of a dark marbled slate floor and wall tile. She loved the modernity. Feeling another yawn escape her, she dug around in her beaded bag until she found some fresh clothes and under garments, and her toiletries bag.

She showered, washing her hair and body of all the blood, sweat and dirt that had accumulated. Afterwards, she dressed in a long shirt with some leggings and ran a pick comb through her hair to get out any knots before braiding it into a big plait down the back of her neck. She went to Snape’s office and found writing implements in and on Snape’s desk, and she wrote Harry a quick letter as promised and said she would see them in a couple of days. She sent it via floo to Grimmauld Place, hoping Harry would see it as soon as possible.

Subsequently, she ducked her head into Snape’s room and saw that the man has once more fallen asleep. Extinguishing the light, she wandered into the guest room he mentioned and found an inviting bed flanked by pretty wooden side-tables. She slid under the sheets, plopping her bag on one of the tables, and tucked her wand under the pillow she would rest her head on.

Suddenly her world went black as she allowed the warm embrace of sleep to envelope her.

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To be continued.

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A/N – Happy New Year! I hope you are all enjoying some quality times with your friends and loved ones, and this chapter finds you well. I’d once again like to thank my lovely beta and friend, TheFauxMe for her help with catching what I’ve missed. 


	3. Discourse

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The sun beat down on the walkway, bouncing off the cobblestones and casting a glare. Hermione squinted as she walked quickly, bringing up a hand to shade her eyes.

She had Apparated to a small park near to Grimmauld Place so that she could finally visit Harry and the Weasley’s. A week had gone by since the final battle, and Hermione had allowed herself some time to rest and fill her cup after it being drained dry for so long. She remained at Spinner’s End and caring for a still-injured Snape. He had improved dramatically in a very short period of time and while able to take care of his personal needs, he had yet to make his way downstairs.

She also spent some time at her childhood home cleaning and making the place habitable again. Though she still hadn’t had any luck with tracking down her parents, she would keep trying to pinpoint their exact location so that she could try and bring them home. Hermione sighed, shaking her head and rounding the corner, her destination in her sight.

She paused at the point between the two buildings that hid the old Order of the Phoenix Headquarters and smiled as the large house appeared.

Walking up the steps, she stood at the front door and knocked. The door swung open, and she ducked her head in, but no had opened it. Apparently, the house remembered her. She smiled slightly and walked in, closing it softly behind her before heading deeper into the house. She heard the sounds of people and making her way to the kitchen, saw the people that were closest in the world to her sharing their morning meal.

‘HERMIONE!!’

Hermione felt her breath leave her as she was embraced by several Weasley’s including Ginny and Ron.

‘I’m so happy to see you all,’ she said, her cheeks heating up as she smiled broadly.

‘We’ve missed you,’ Molly said, pushing past her children to embrace her warmly.

She was ushered to the table and soon had a plate of food in front of her along with a mug of coffee. The Weasley’s were generous and she immediately felt warm and happy, comforted by their presence. She knew she had been avoiding coming to Grimmauld Place the past few days, in part because she was keeping Snape a secret until he was ready, and also because she had no idea how she was going to handle the situation with Ron.

She picked at the food, sipping at the black coffee slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry approach and plop down on the long bench beside her.

‘How did everything go with your parent’s house? Have you managed to find them yet?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘So far I haven’t had any luck with tracking them down,’ she replied. ‘I am chasing a few different leads, but it could take a while. I spent the past week going back and forth between trying to find them, and manually cleaning the house.’

‘Why not use magic?’ he asked, frowning slightly.

‘To be honest, Harry, I just didn’t feel like using magic to clean the house. After the year we’ve had, I sort of just wanted to have a little time to feel normal again.’

He nodded in understanding. ‘I just missed you is all.’

Hermione put her arms around him in a tight hug. ‘I missed you too. Now, catch me up on everything that has been happening here.’

‘We cleaned up this place and we are all living here now while the Burrow is rebuilt. I don’t know if they are going to build it as it was or just build something new. I’m in favour of new because I think it’s time for a new beginning.’

‘I think new sounds like a good idea.’

‘Well, we also have been helping Minerva and Kingsley organise the memorial for all of the fallen,’ Harry continued. ‘It’s been hard without you there to whip us into organisational shape.’

Hermione chuckled. She was rather fond of bossing her boys around. ‘I’m sorry that I’ve been so distant,’ she said with a sigh. ‘I got the invitation to the memorial from Minerva in the post.’

‘Well at least you are here now,’ Harry said with a smile. ‘Ron’s been moping around a lot.’

She almost contained the flinch at the mention of Ron. Unfortunately, there was no fooling her best friend.

Harry’s eyebrows raised. ‘You don’t seem all that excited to see him.’

Hermione pursed her lips as she tried to think of a way to word her reply. ‘I love Ron,’ she said quietly. ‘But I just don’t think I love him the way that I used to, you know? It was all so easy back then. A year ago, I would have been thrilled about his interest. But things are different now – I’m different now.’

‘I think I know how you feel,’ Harry said, his eyes darting over to where Ginny was laughing at something that George had said. ‘It feels like a dream. This time last year we were getting ready for Bill and Fleur’s wedding, now Fred is gone, and so are Tonks and Remus. Nothing is quite the way we expected.’

Hermione was a little stunned, but not altogether surprised by Harry’s revelation. She always expected that she would end up with Ron, and everyone thought Harry would end up with Ginny. She knew Ron was funny and smart in his own way, but they just wanted such different things in almost every aspect. She had no idea when Harry planned to have a talk with Ginny about their future, but she knew that today was the right time to make her peace with Ron.

After breakfast was over, the Weasley’s dispersed and a few other Order members came and went from the house through the day as they planned and cleaned. The memorial service would be held at Hogwarts in two days, which was not a whole lot of time.

Hermione wandered upstairs to the Library so that she could borrow a few books on memory charms to read later. She was just finishing with giving her selected tomes a dust when she heard someone else enter the room. Before she had a chance to turn around, she found herself engulfed by two long, somewhat muscular arms, and she knew without even seeing, that it was Ron. His scent was unmistakeable - grass, muskiness, a little sweat, and pepper. She used to smell that in Amortentia, but she had a feeling that would not be the case anymore.

‘I missed you,’ Ron said, spinning her in his arms and leaning in to roughly plant a kiss on her mouth.

She tolerated it with tight lips, but it wasn’t long until he realised, she was not exactly responsive to his affectionate gesture. He pulled back from her, staring into her eyes with a confused expression.

‘What’s wrong, ‘Mione?’ he asked, his voice serious. ‘I thought you’d be excited to see me.’

Hermione could feel the knot in her stomach grow. ‘I am excited to see you,’ she said, punctuating her reply with a gentle touch of her hand to his arm. ‘But I do think it’s time we had a talk, you and I. Let’s sit down.’

Ron’s head dropped and he nodded, his expression going from happy excitement to the sullen look of someone not getting their way. That look on his face was just one of the many reasons she could not see herself having a healthy and successful relationship with Ron. He needed to be taken care of – he needed someone to fuss over him the way his mother did. He was also the kind who wanted to be the decision maker, and Hermione would not have a relationship unless it was one of equality. They sat on the same lounge, but at different ends, and Hermione cleared her throat softly, preparing to have the talk.

‘I know you must be a little confused, and quite frankly up until recently I was also confused. But the one thing that has become clear to me, is that try as we might, you and I are not really all that well suited…’

She could see Ron wanted to interrupt and she held her hand up to stop him in his tracks. ‘We’ve been fighting it for years, Ron. I think a part of me really wanted to live that sweet, simple idyllic life with you, but this war has changed me. I don’t have the same cares or priorities as I did before. And I think if you’re as clever as I’ve always known you are, you will come to see it too.’

‘But that kiss…’

‘…was just a kiss, Ron. It was a nice kiss, and what we both needed at the time, but not enough to build a long-term relationship on. If we keep going down this track, I think we might come to resent each other, and I’d rather keep on having you in my life as my dear friend than lose you because we are too stubborn to see that this just wouldn’t be a sustainable relationship.’

Ron’s face looked defeated, but he took a deep breath and nodded. ‘I know what you’re saying makes sense, but I guess I’ve just had this idea in my head that you and I would, you know, get together.’

Hermione reached out and took his hand, grasping it firmly. ‘There is a wonderful girl out there for you, who will be able to love you the way I can’t,’ she said, her eyes burning with unshed tears. It pained her to have to do this to one of her closest friends. The heartbroken look on his face was almost too much.

‘I love you, Hermione,’ he said, choking back a sob.

The tears slipped from her eyes then too. ‘I love you too,’ she said, putting her arms around him in a tight hug. ‘I’m so sorry that it’s not the love you deserve.’

Ron squeezed her. ‘You can’t help that I took so long to figure it out,’ he said wryly. ‘It’s my own fault I didn’t appreciate you enough sooner.’

They released each other, both with tears shining on their cheeks. Hermione cleared her throat and stood, picking up the books she had gone up to retrieve.

‘I’m going to head off,’ she told Ron, smiling as she watched him scrub away the wetness on his cheeks with his sleeve.

‘I might stay up here for a bit more,’ he replied.

She nodded. He most likely wanted to have some time to compose himself before going back down to see his brothers and Harry. Ron might have grown up a little during the war, but he was still afraid of being emotional in front of people. Something Hermione knew would have affected any romantic relationship they tried to have.

‘I’ll see you in a couple of days at the memorial, okay?’

‘Sure,’ he replied. ‘See ya, ‘Mione.’

She left the library, softly closing the door behind her. Ron deserved to have a little privacy while he processed all of the information she had just dumped on him. She reached up and swiped the tears away that had trekked down her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, she walked down to the ground floor and ducked her head into the sitting room. Molly and Arthur had their heads together and were talking by the table. She caught Harry’s eye and gestured for him to come out.

He was out into the hall in seconds with a concerned look. She knew her eyes were probably a little red from crying.

‘I spoke to Ron,’ she said quietly.

Harry immediately put his arms around her in a comforting hug. ‘Are you okay?’

Hermione nodded. ‘I didn’t want to hurt him, but it’s better that it’s happened now. It would have been worse if I kept pretending for longer.’

It was Harry’s turn to sigh then. She knew he would do the same with Ginny when it was time. She released him clutching the books tight to her chest. It was time for her to return to Spinner’s End and check on Snape – she was still concerned about him.

‘I’ll see you in a couple of days?’ she asked.

‘See you then.’

Hermione made her way back to the park, and once she was safely concealed in the tree line, she Apparated, reappearing in the entryway at Spinner’s End. The house was quiet as she made her way up the stairs. Snape’s room was empty, so she went to the office and found him sitting in one of the armchairs with an open book.

‘I’m back,’ she announced, plopping down in the armchair opposite him and placing the books she had borrowed on the coffee table between them.

‘How are the Weasleys and Potter?’ he asked quietly.

Hermione sighed, rubbing a hand over her eyes before looking back up at him. ‘They are doing as well as they can be really,’ she began. ‘I think having the memorial service to plan for those we lost is keeping them busy. You are being included – Harry was very insistent. It was very awkward.’

‘I apologise for putting you in that position.’

She shook her head firmly. ‘This is in no way your fault,’ she said, but she could see that he did not agree. ‘Until Harry has managed to sort out clearing your name, I think it would be wise for you to remain hidden here.’

Snape nodded. ‘While I can’t say that I agree on whether I should be absolved, but I can hardly stop Potter from doing so,’ he murmured. ‘You spent time with your friends, so why is it that you look so miserable, Hermione?’

‘Noticed that, did you?’ she said with a smirk.

‘Just out with it,’ Snape said gruffly, closing his book and placing it on the table.

‘I know you don’t care about your former student’s silly relationship problems,’ she said, chuckling when she saw him frown. ‘I sort of had a thing with Ron, but I haven’t emotionally been in it for a while, and I had to let him down easy today so that I could salvage a friendship.’

‘You are out of his league,’ Snape said, his voice clipped.

Her mouth fell open and she gaped, unable to process what he had just said.

He smirked at her then. ‘You are an intelligent, powerful, ambitious and very skilled witch. Weasley is not academically minded in the least. If you were to pursue a romantic attachment to him, you would undoubtedly grow to resent that you have so very little in common than school houses and a shared friendship group.’

Hermione couldn’t help but to be taken aback by his evaluation. Not in her entire time as his student had he ever said anything so nice to her. ‘You’ve never given me a compliment like that before,’ she said, still surprised.

‘Yes, well. Do not get used to it,’ he replied, picking up his book. ‘I was merely making an observation.’

She was trying to think of a retort to his comment when she felt her stomach grumble. She looked up at the clock in the corner and saw that it was almost one o’clock. No wonder she was hungry.

‘I’m starving,’ she said, deciding to let the conversation drop. ‘Sandwiches okay?’

Snape nodded, before opening his book back up to where he had left off. She wandered to the kitchen and whipped up a couple of sandwiches for them, choosing to make them manually so she had a little time to process Snape’s words. He thought she was smart and skilled. She felt a flush of gratification rush through her and her stomach flipped. Snape was not the sort of man who gave compliments – to anyone. She had spent years trying to get the man to notice her as a student. He had been so focussed on humiliating and berating Harry that she was simply an annoying, hand-waving thorn in his side.

It was different now. There was a mutual respect between the two of them that had grown during the week they had spent largely in each other’s presence. Snape had been very forthcoming with her, if still a little guarded. She didn’t blame him – he had spent nearly twenty years under the thumb of two masters. When he wasn’t busy risking his life for Dumbledore, he was busy trying to teach students who showed him little respect, keeping up appearances in class so that the next generation of Slytherin Death Eaters could report to their parents that he was hard on the Gryffindor’s, and hiding away.

She felt a pang of sympathy toward him. It must have been so lonely being hated by so many people for half his life.

Sighing heavily, she shook herself from her thoughts and carried their food back up to the office, placing one of the plates on the table in front of Snape, and her own closer to the armchair she sat in. She picked up one of the books from Grimmauld Place and a corner of sandwich and began to chew as she flipped through the first few pages.

‘What book is that?’ Snape asked, startling her out of her own thoughts.

‘A book on memory charms,’ she said, taking another bite of her food. ‘I thought it might be helpful to know as much as I can about them so that if I manage to locate my parents, I might be able to understand how to restore their memories.’

Snape nodded, picking up a corner of his sandwich. ‘It won’t hurt at all, and the books housed in the Black Family’s library will undoubtedly be of some use. Regulus Black was at one point, someone I considered to be a friend. He had a lot of impressive texts that he would have left behind there.’

Hermione was surprised to hear this. She knew so little about Snape’s past other than that he was at one point enamoured with Harry’s mother. Did he still love Lily Potter, she wondered? She wasn’t insane enough to ask the man outright. A love like that would probably always remain a part of his life. As they are in silence and he returned to reading his book, Hermione took a moment to examine him under the guise of reading.

He looked better than he had a week ago. His skin had a healthy colour to it – he was still very pale, but it no longer looked grey and lifeless. His black hair was long and hung in a curtain around his face, falling past his shoulders like black ink. She resisted the itch to tuck his hair back behind his ears, so his face was not so blocked from view. He had taken to wearing his black teaching attire minus the heavy robes but was still buttoned up tight from the world – almost as though his clothes were a suit of armour to protect him from being in any way vulnerable.

Over the past week she had grown used to his face. His features were sharp, yes, but she knew how his skin felt under her hands. It was smooth to the touch. His nose was long, thin and slightly hooked at the end, but she thought to herself that he might not suit any other nose. The lips he so often curled into a frown or sneer were soft. His eyes were inky and bore so many of his emotions that he often kept from reaching his features. She still thought he was too skinny from all the stress his body had been through, but he was surprisingly strong for someone who was so tall and thin.

She was disturbed from her thoughts by the sound of the clock chiming. She resumed eating her food, suddenly reminded of how hungry she was.

Hermione wasn’t sure why she was examining the man so thoroughly but thought to herself that it was perhaps not the time to try and pick at that thread. She had a feeling it would send her down a path that she wasn’t so sure she wanted to explore while she was still emotionally recovering from all of the recent loses and emotional trauma.

‘Thank you.’

Snape’s murmured words brought her back to reality. She looked at him curiously through her lashes – he did not make eye contact with her.

‘Whatever for?’ she asked.

‘Lunch specifically,’ he replied. ‘And for everything else you have done over the past week caring for me like an invalid.’

‘I would have done the same for anyone.’

‘But you did it for me,’ he said firmly, finally looking up at her. ‘A week ago, I did not much care to be alive anymore. But you have given me hope.’

Hermione felt her cheeks flush. This guarded man was sitting before her and allowing himself a moment of vulnerability. He was beginning to trust her and her motives for saving him. It was a very gratifying feeling.

‘I hope that you can have a real life, Severus,’ she said softly, a little breathless. ‘You might still not believe this to be true, but you deserve to have a chance to choose your own path and have a life. We all deserve this – I haven’t felt in control of my own life for a few years now, but that pales in comparison to the number of years you have spent putting pause on your own life.’

Snape was silent for a moment and looked to be in thought after she had said her piece. ‘You are very singular, Hermione,’ he said carefully. ‘I don’t think anyone has ever felt that I deserved a new lease on life – not even Albus.’

Hermione could not contain the small laugh at the mention of the former Headmaster. ‘Professor Dumbledore might have been on the side of good and he certainly did put things into motion to ensure Tom Riddle’s destruction, but that man was a master of manipulation. We were all blind to it when we were younger, of course, but even Harry realises now just how much and who he was willing to sacrifice in order to bring about the end of the war. He was happy to sacrifice both of you and himself. I think all of the eccentric robes, his grandfather beard and all those bloody sugary sweets fooled us into trusting him without question.’

It was Snape’s turn to chuckle. ‘I am relieved that you do not view Albus through rose-tinted glasses. You have to admit though; his methods were devious and underhanded no doubt, but they were effective.’

‘I suppose it is some small comfort is that we didn’t all die,’ Hermione conceded.

‘Albus was flawed, but he meant well,’ Snape said firmly. ‘He was my only confidante for many years, and while he did shamelessly exploit the mistakes of my youth, he gave me a place in the world and after a fairly miserable childhood, years of bullying, and the loss of Lily Potter, that was enough to make me endure everything else.’

‘Are we going to talk about Harry’s mum?’ she asked, scared he would clam back up again.

His nostril’s flared slightly at her mention of the name, and his lips thinned slightly. ‘Perhaps one day, but I think we’ve had enough of delving into the past for today.’

Hermione knew when it was time to let something go. Maybe one day she might be able to have a frank and honest conversation with him about his past some more. But for today it seemed he had said everything he was going to.

She turned her attention back to the book she was reading. Snape said he would help her when the time came to restore her parent’s memories. Her contact in Australia was trying their best to track them down as they apparently had moved from where she had settled them in Melbourne. She had thought it best to hide them in a larger city. She was resigned to the fact it was going to be a long, hard road to locate her parents. 

And as she had no idea what she was going to with her life, now that she was no longer on the run from an evil dark lord. Then at least she knew what she had to do – she had direction when she was helping Harry carry out Dumbledore’s plan. But now she felt like a flag just barely tethered to a pole. Adrift. Caring for the injured Snape was an excellent distraction, but soon he would be well enough to care for himself and she would no longer be needed. Despite the gratitude he had expressed and his tolerance while she was caring for him, she was certain Snape would desire his privacy again soon.

Flipping through the pages of her book, she came to a section on Legilimency and Occlumency, and their uses in blocking and restoring memories. She would show Snape the passage at a later date when she was surer her parents would be found.

They sat together in companionable silence, each reading their books, the only sounds to be heard were the ticking on the clock and the soft scratch of parchment as the pages turned.

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To be continued.

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A/N – Thank you again for reading my latest instalment. I am eternally grateful to my lovely beta, sirsevchick for helping with my clumsy wording through this chapter!


	4. In Memoriam

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The sky was grey with clouds, dark, thick and heavy with the rain that had yet to fall. It was as though the weather was in tune with the sombre mood of that day.

Hermione slowly made her way around the Great Hall, sticking close to the walls and gazing around the room, staring up at the enchanted ceiling as it projected the weather outside. Candles floated in the air, just as they had the first time she entered the hall in her first year at Hogwarts. The memorial ceremony had been a sombre affair. Minerva, Kingsley and Harry had all taken turns to speak about the war and say kind and meaningful things about the fallen.

The hall was full. So many people had wanted to pay their respects. Hermione had been approached by several people who all wanted to thank her for her part in bringing down Voldemort and dispelling his followers. She was used to some level of media attention through her association with Harry, but never this level. It was rather embarrassing.

During the ceremony she had sat with the Weasley family, seating herself at the end of a long bench with Ginny to her right between she and Ron. There had been a little awkwardness between them, with their conversation still being fresh. Hermione had been grateful that although she would not be joining their family through a relationship with their son, both Molly and Arthur had not treated her any different. They had already lost one of their sons – they were not going to cast her out just because she didn’t want to date Ron.

She sighed and found a seat in the corner of the hall to sit while the people bustled around her. It was late afternoon, and she was thinking it might nearly be time for her to leave. Hermione had almost made the decision to get up and say her goodbyes when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked around but there was no-one in sight, but the touch endured.

‘Miss Granger.’

Snape’s voice whispered in her ear, and she felt a shiver run down the back of her neck as his warm breath washed over her skin. She reached up and put a hand over the invisible one on her shoulder. How was he invisible? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

‘How are you here?’ she whispered back, trying to remain calm and collected.

He chuckled low. ‘I have my ways, Miss Granger.’

‘One of these days you are going to have to teach me how to do this,’ she said, releasing his hand.

The warmth of his touch disappeared. ‘Whatever do you mean?’ he drawled.

‘Well, I can’t see you,’ she murmured, standing from the chair and leaning against the cool stone wall. ‘Such a valuable skill would be useful in certain situations.’

‘Indeed.’

‘Why did you come today?’ Hermione asked, feeling him brush against her arm lightly.

‘I had to,’ he replied quietly. ‘In reality, I should have been one of these people. It was very disconcerting hearing Minerva, Kingsley and Potter speaking about me with so much, dare I say, fondness.’

Hermione smiled. It was good for Snape to hear these things being said about him. He deserved to know that he was thought of well – the man did not know his own worth.

‘Do you need help getting back to your home?’ she asked, certain he would be tired after using so much magical energy to get there and to maintain his disillusionment.

‘I’ll manage,’ he replied. ‘Minerva is heading this way.’

Hermione snapped her head around and saw that the newly installed Headmistress was indeed making a beeline in her direction. She cleared her throat and smoothed out imaginary wrinkles from the fabric of her robes as the older woman reached her.

‘Minerva, the ceremony was very moving,’ she said, accepting the embrace from the Headmistress. ‘I am sorry that I was not more helpful.’

‘My dear, do not think on it for a moment. Harry told me that you’ve been trying to track down your parents, and that is far more important than fussing around the place for me,’ Minerva replied. ‘But I do have a few questions I’d like to ask you, if you don’t mind waiting around until after everyone has dispersed? We can have tea up in my office.’

Hermione was curiosity was piqued straight away. ‘I’d love to,’ she replied.

‘Wonderful,’ Minerva said with a smile, giving Hermione another quick hug. ‘I’ve got a few more people I need to have words with before they leave, but if you wanted to wait in the entrance hall for me in a little while, we can head up together.’

The Headmistress disappeared into the crowd once more, and Hermione let slip a sigh of relief, sagging back against the stone wall again. She felt a whisper of fabric brush against her and she knew that Snape was still there.

‘Minerva looks well,’ he whispered softly, and she felt his arm press up against hers.

‘She is taking all of this in her stride,’ Hermione agreed.

‘This role was made for her,’ Snape murmured. ‘She will be a wonderful Headmistress.’

Hermione stood beside him silently then, just enjoying a moment of solitude with him amidst all of the bustle. After a few minutes she felt the warmth against her arm shift and the air become displaced around her slightly as Snape moved away from the wall.

‘Are you leaving?’ she asked.

‘I’m growing tired,’ he replied. ‘I think I will return home and rest.’

‘Good idea,’ she replied. ‘I can’t imagine how much energy you’ve expended just so that you could be here today.’

‘Until later,’ Snape whispered.

Just like that, Hermione was alone again. She felt herself feeling a little bereft at Snape’s departure. It was a strange feeling but knowing he had been there at the memorial to pay his respects made warmth spread through her. She pushed away from the wall and decided to do another lap of the hall so she could distract herself from thinking about Snape. The niggling feeling in the pit of her stomach was something she intended to ignore.

As she was halfway through her rounds, she spotted Harry and some of their former schoolmates and he looked as though he was in need of a rescue. She walked over to join him, putting a gentle hand on his elbow to let him know she was there. He turned and smiled at her; relief evident in his eyes.

‘Harry, can I have a word with you?’ she asked, looking at Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan with an apologetic smile. ‘I’m so sorry, boys. I hope you don’t mind?’

‘All good, Hermione,’ Dean answered for them. ‘We’ll catch up again soon hey, Harry?’

‘Sure,’ he replied, grabbing Hermione’s hand and tucking it into his elbow to lead her away.

She let him lead her out of the Great Hall to the entrance hall where it was a little quieter and they could talk. Her hand slid out of the crook of his elbow and she gave him a hug, sighing heavily. She was tired after such a long afternoon of socialising. Pulling back, she gestured at the steps and both she and Harry sat beside one another.

‘I can’t wait to go home,’ Harry said, taking off his glasses and rubbing a hand over his eyes.

‘I agree,’ Hermione replied. ‘Minerva asked for a meeting with me after everyone has left.’

‘That’s funny, Kingsley asked me to do the same,’ he said, putting his glasses back on. ‘In Minerva’s office.’

‘It seems we might be going to the same meeting. What do you think it’s about?’

‘Honestly, I have no idea, but maybe while I have Kingsley’s ear, I’m going to bring up having Professor Snape exonerated using his memories and Dumbledore’s portrait. I know they have already been talking about Order of Merlin’s and I want to make sure all of this is sorted before they decide,’ he replied. ‘I want to make sure the Professor is recognised properly.’

Hermione felt a wave of affection for the man beside her. When had Harry grown up? She felt like it had happened over night, but that was not the case. She knew that it had been happening slowly but surely over the past few years. The war against Voldemort had forced all of them to grow up faster one way or another. But it was times like this that really highlighted just how differently they thought about things now.

‘You’re a good man, Harry Potter,’ she said, beaming at him.

‘Only because I’ve had you around to remind me when I’m being a git,’ he said, chuckling.

They sat on the stairs, watching and waving to people as they left until finally the castle was quiet and it seemed like it might finally be time to head up to the Headmistress’s office. They walked up the first flight of stairs and met with Minerva and Kingsley at the doors to the Great Hall. As a group they made their way upstairs, leaving Molly and Filius Flitwick to coordinate the cleaning efforts in the hall. When they reached the Gargoyle, Minerva spoke the password ‘ _Bronte_ ’ and the stairs appeared before them. They rode it to the top, stepping off and following her into the office.

It had been redecorated to suit the new Headmistress’s taste. The last time Hermione had been in there it was still Snape’s office. She wondered what had happened to his belongings. There was no doubt that Minerva would have had them moved into some sort of storage – she didn’t seem like the type to just throw things out. Soon the four of them were seated around the fireplace in the office, both Minerva and Kingsley occupying armchairs, and Hermione shared the lounge with Harry. Tea service was ordered from the kitchens, and soon they all had a hot cuppa and biscuits.

‘Now then, I am sure the two of you are curious about why you were asked here?’ Kingsley began, looking back and forth between them.

Hermione nodded, gripper her cup a little tighter than was strictly necessary. She knew Harry beside her was also nodding silently.

Minerva cleared her throat lightly. ‘Hogwarts has a not unsubstantial amount of damage that has been done to the building and surrounds. We are currently trying to assemble a team to help with the rebuilding – volunteers who want to help set the castle to rights so that, if we manage to stay on track, we can reopen the school come September.’

Hermione thought something to that effect would happen. The magical community needed to rebuild, and Hogwarts was a very important and crucial institution. Having children return to their magical education was important. More so than ever before as now they had the task of trying to prevent any future dark wizard or witch uprising.

‘I can’t speak for Harry, but I am willing to help out with the restoration efforts,’ Hermione said.

‘I’ll help,’ Harry said nodding. ‘This place has been more of a home to me than anywhere else I’ve lived. I want the next generation to get the chance to have this experience. But ideally during a time of peace without the threat of and evil overlord lurking.’

‘I would be thrilled to have both of you join,’ Minerva said, smiling gratefully at them both. ‘Perhaps we can discuss this a little more on Monday if you could be at the castle at nine o’clock.’ 

They all knew that having the two of them on the restoration team was the best free PR that Hogwarts was going to get. People would probably be queuing up to join the cause just to be close to them, but Hermione wasn’t bothered by it. In order to get the school up and running in time for the start of term in September would be an enormous undertaking.

‘Excellent, now that we have that cleared up, I have another unrelated question for you both,’ Kingsley piped up. ‘The ministry is going through the selection process for the Order of Merlin, as I am sure you have already heard. We would like both of you to accept a first class, along with a few other crucial players. There will be two other classes, and those ceremonies with have to be conducted at a later date.’

Harry looked like he was going to burst. ‘Kingsley, if you don’t mind, I have a favour to ask,’ he said in a rush, like he was worried he wouldn’t get to have a say.

The older man raised his brows in surprise. ‘Anything, Harry.’

‘You might come to regret giving me a free pass later,’ Harry replied with a small smirk. ‘Actually, I think you will be rather on board with my request.’

‘Mr Potter, I am not getting any younger,’ Minerva informed him with a smile that belied her tone.

‘I would like for Professor Snape’s name to be cleared and for him to receive the Order of Merlin with us when you present them. It is the least we can do after all those years he sacrificed himself…’

Harry trailed off, and Hermione could tell he was getting emotional thinking about Snape and his mother. She reached out and put a hand on his as a show of support, and he gave it a squeeze in silent thanks.

Kingsley appeared to think for a moment, and then nodded. ‘I’m assuming that you have some evidence that we will be able to use to clear his name?’

Harry nodded, and looked up at Hermione. She had brought the vial of memories that day in the hopes that her friend would come to this conclusion. She reached into her robes and removed the vial from a pocket she had charmed to cushion the precious cargo and held it out towards Kingsley. The older man accepted it, staring at it in confusion.

‘Those are memories from Professor Snape,’ Hermione said quietly. ‘He gave them to Harry after he had been attacked by Nagini.’

‘Dumbledore’s portrait will corroborate the memories and any other evidence we are able to gather,’ Harry said, looking up to the portrait behind the Headmistress’s desk.

‘I think this should actually be enough,’ Kingsley said, pocketing the vial of memories. ‘I’ll take good care of this; don’t you worry, Hermione.’

Hermione hadn’t even realised her mouth had tightened in dismay as he placed the vial in his robes. He had in his possession something that could make or break the case for Snape, and she wanted to be sure that nothing could stop this from going ahead. She nodded and allowed herself to relax a little. It wouldn’t do to give herself away when she was so close to achieving this goal.

The four of them finished up their tea and Hermione left the office with Harry in tow, heading back down to the entrance hall to leave. She hugged him briefly, promising to go and visit Grimmauld Place later in the week, and agreeing to meet at the Hogsmeade before going to their meeting with Minerva on Monday. Plans made, Hermione Disapparated and arrived in the doorway of Spinner’s End. It was already later than she would normally be preparing dinner, so she had a bit of catching up to do.

As she walked through the panel that led to the kitchen, she was surprised to find Snape standing at the stove, his back to her as he stirred something in a pot. She could smell some spices in the air, and she closed her eyes for a moment so she could take them in and savour them. It was delicious. She knew that the man was a very accomplished Potions Master but had no idea that he was also able to cook.

‘Are you going to just stand there gawking, Miss Granger, or do you plan to come in properly and make yourself useful?’ he drawled, a little of his sarcasm that had been missing of late shining through.

Hermione smirked. He must have been feeling better if some of his bite was coming back. She was finding she rather enjoyed this side of Snape’s personality now that she was no longer his subordinate and student. He had a biting wit and a mind as sharp as a blade. It used to intimidate her, but now she appreciated it because she had had some of the most interesting intellectual conversations of her life during the short time she had been staying with Snape.

She moved into the room and saw there was some dough resting in a bowl on the bench. She wasn’t exactly sure what he was planning to use it for, but she was curious.

‘It smells wonderful,’ she said, walking around to stand beside him and peer into the pot her was stirring slowly but surely, like he was brewing a potion.

‘It is Tarka Dahl,’ he replied. ‘Not a particularly complicated curry, nor very expensive to make, but filled with a variety of spices that have been fried to release their aroma, combined with onion, garlic, ginger and tomato, and then added to cooked lentils to create a paste or porridge if you prefer.’

‘I love Dahl, but I don’t think I’ve ever had this kind before,’ Hermione said, gesturing to the pot. ‘And the dough?’

‘A paratha bread that will be used to eat it,’ he answered. ‘There is a flat pan in the cupboard beside you, if you would be so kind as you retrieve it. I trust you can watch over the curry and stir it while I complete the bread?’

Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed the pan. Sometimes his words were annoying, but she thought that ignoring his jibes were the easiest way to not give him the reaction he wanted. ‘I’m sure I can manage standing still and stirring.’

Snape got to work quickly on the dough, using the blunt flat side of a knife to cut through the dough and section it evenly. He swiftly rolled them into even-sized balls and produced a rolling pin from the drawer moments later. She had no idea how he managed to go from that to a stack of beautiful, even and round flat breads, but he did, and it was like magic, but he used none. Soon the pan was oiled, and he was back beside her, lighting the burner and placing the pan on to wait for it to heat.

Once it was hot enough, he placed one of the rounds on, using a spatula to press down on the dough as it rose to keep it flat. When one side was golden, he flipped it and did the same to the other side before flipping it on to a clean plate and repeating the process until the whole pile was cooked. She was utterly amazed by his prowess. It was like a dance and she was entranced.

‘I think we can safely remove the curry from the stove now,’ he murmured, pulling bowls and side plates out of the cupboards.

Hermione switched the flame off and ladled some of the curry into the bowls he had laid out. Not long after they were seated at the small table in the kitchen with all the food he had prepared and a glass of wine each. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but a glass of wine with her dinner wasn’t going to send her drunk. Her first bite was pure bliss as she used the bread to scoop up a little of the dahl. Her eyes closed of their own accord and she hummed happily.

She opened them again when she heard a small bark of laughter from beside her and saw that Snape was staring at her with mirth in his dark eyes.

She frowned at him in mock anger. ‘Am I not allowed to enjoy this lovely meal you made?’ she said, feeling put out.

‘By all means,’ he replied, taking a bite of his own food.

Hermione froze, her stomach fluttering as she watched his long, pale fingers slide past his thin lips slightly as he too ate his curry the traditional way. Whatever she expected, it was not Snape eating curry and flatbread with his hands. She definitely didn’t think she would be so fascinated by his hands, lips or bloody eyes. This was getting out of hand. She wasn’t silly. This strange attraction to him was beginning to be dangerous. Nothing good would come from it – the was no way in hell Snape would ever return her regard, and if she kept going as she had been, her feelings were the ones that would be hurt.

They ate in silence and Hermione offered to take care of the leftovers and clean up. This was mostly due to him preparing the entire meal and a little of her wanting to be alone. She needed to deal or stamp down these errant thoughts she was having toward Snape. She had things she needed to discuss with him, and she wanted to do it with a clear mind. Once she was finished with her cleaning, she made tea for them both and walked up to the office where was certain he was be sitting in his usual armchair, reading as he always did after dinner.

When she walked in, she found him sitting in the chair, but there was no book. His eyes were closed, and his arms were crossed in front of him. She stood and took him in for a moment. He must have been exhausted after a full afternoon of maintaining spells to disguise himself along with the Apparation and all the energy it would have taken to prepare their dinner. She walked in further and placed the mug of tea down on the coffee table in front of him, briefly touching his shoulder to wake him.

His eyes fluttered open, and she sat down in her usual seat, watching as he wordlessly leaned forward and picked up his tea.

‘Thank you for the tea,’ he murmured.

She could hear the exhaustion in his voice. For all his bluster earlier, she was sure he had pushed himself and perhaps overdone it that day.

‘Thank you for dinner,’ she replied.

‘You’ve been feeding me for almost two weeks, Hermione,’ he said, raising a challenging eyebrow. ‘It was long past my turn.’

‘You’ve been recovering,’ she argued gently.

‘Now that I am capable, I fully intend to begin taking responsibility for my own needs rather than burdening you,’ he said, taking a sip of the tea.

Hermione felt her stomach twist for a different reason this time. She knew at some point Snape would be well enough to take care of himself, but it had come around sooner than expected. He had healed surprisingly well given the nature of his injuries. She actually hadn’t seen the wound on his neck for a few days now as he had taken to wearing it bandaged and was back to wearing his black frock coat buttoned all the way up properly around the house.

‘Now that you are well enough, I should take my leave,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m sure you’ve been looking forward to having your privacy back. I can pack my things and be gone tomorrow morning.’

The was a moment of silence between them until Snape spoke, cutting through the awkwardness that hung thick in the air.

‘You don’t have to leave.’

Hermione’s eyes widened. ‘Sir?’

He cleared his throat anxiously. ‘Might I remind you that we had previously come to an agreement that you find something other than “sir” or “professor” to call me.’

‘I’m confused,’ she replied. ‘Are we talking about me moving out or are we talking about what to call you?’

Snape sighed heavily, rubbing his free hand over his eyes. ‘Stay or don’t stay, I don’t mind. Just call me something other than professor or sir,’ he said, his voice a little tight. 

Hermione sat in silence, absorbing what the man before her had just said. He didn’t mind if she stayed? She could hardly believe what she was hearing. And she wasn’t sure why they were having an argument about it, whatever it was.

‘I’ll stay… Severus,’ she said, his name sounding wrong.

‘It gets easier with time,’ he said, a smirk on his lips. ‘Hermione.’

She had to suppress the shiver that shot up her spine at the way his voice almost caressed her name as he spoke. It was like a dark liquid velvet. As a student that voice had terrified and degraded her in class. Right in that moment, it was a different sort of weapon, and he had no idea what kind of damage it could do. She took a sip of her tea and cleared her throat, desperate for a topic change.

‘I came up here to talk to you about the meeting I had with Minerva, Kingsley and Harry,’ she said, satisfied that she had gotten them back on track.

‘What did they have to say?’

‘Well Minerva asked if Harry and I would be willing to volunteer some time to help restore the castle and fix things up a bit so they can potentially re-open the school in September,’ she began. ‘I’m not sure on the details of what we’d be needed for, but we have a meeting with her on Monday morning.’

He nodded for her to continue.

‘Kingsley wanted to talk to us about Order of Merlin,’ she said, and noticed that his jaw clenched a little at that. ‘Harry made it clear that he had conditions that needed to be met before he would accept it.’

‘And just what might those exceptions be?’ Snape asked tightly through clenched teeth.

‘That your name be cleared, and you be awarded the Order of Merlin First Class with us.’

Hermione had never seen Snape so flabbergasted in all her time knowing him, but there it was, written on his face. He was not so undignified that his jaw had dropped, but this was essentially the Snape equivalent or so she thought.

‘That boy has always been overly sentimental and ridiculous.’

Hermione couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up out of her. ‘I’ve just told you that you are going to be a free man soon, and a war hero at that, and _that_ is what you have to say for it?’

‘I stand by it.’

Hermione shook her head. ‘One of these days, Severus Snape, you are going to have to accept that you are worthy of this. And I’ll do everything in my power to make it so.’

‘Bossy witch,’ he grumbled shyly.

Hermione smiled. Regardless of what happened over the next few weeks, Severus Snape looked and sounded like he was slowly coming back to life again. And it was enough.

\--

To be continued.

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A/N – Thank you for sticking with me so far. Also big thanks to sirsevchick for wrestling this chapter into top shape – I made a mess of it really, and she rescued it.


	5. Absolution

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The sound of shoes clicking against the marble floor filled the room, echoing off the walls, the high ceilings and great length of the walkway.

Hermione’s own heels were clicking and tapping against the floor as she paced back and forth in front of the large wooden doors in front of her. Before her was the doorway to the Wizengamot chambers, where they were deliberating. That day was to be the day they cast the final judgement on Snape’s involvement in the war and whether or not to clear his name. Hermione knew that the outcome was likely to be favourable – it had the weight of Harry Potter, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Minerva McGonagall behind it, after all.

But there was still a gnawing pit in her stomach. What if, despite their best efforts, they were unsuccessful? What then? How would Snape ever be able to return to the Wizarding world? Would he continue in hiding? Would he leave the continent to start a new life? What?

So many questions turned in her mind. She had refused to sit in the chambers while the deliberations were ongoing because she just couldn’t sit still. She trusted Harry, though. He would see to it that Snape got the justice he deserved.

She stared down at the watch on her wrist. They had been in there for two hours already. Sighing heavily, she had just made the decision to go to the viewing gallery to see what was going on for herself, when the door beside her creaked open and the members of the Wizengamot began to stream out of the room, walking straight past her. Their faces all looked fairly sombre and her panic began anew. It wasn’t until she saw Harry trailing out after them that she was certain it had gone well.

Harry beamed at her. ‘We did it!’

Hermione smiled back, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. ‘Thank goodness,’ she said with a huge sigh of relief.

‘I couldn’t have done this without you, you know,’ he said seriously.

‘Sure, you could have,’ she refuted, releasing him.

‘Once the Wizengamot had seen the memories they were all looking pretty guilty, and once Dumbledore’s portrait was consulted it was pretty much a done deal. I know you won’t believe this, but Malfoy’s mum came, and she spoke on Snape’s behalf, confirming the unbreakable vow she had him take.’

‘I am surprised they didn’t arrest all of the Malfoys after the battle,’ Hermione mused in response. ‘But I appreciate that she felt she owed it to the Professor to come forward.’

‘The Malfoys have a unique way of weaselling out of almost anything,’ Harry said with a dry laugh.

‘So, what’s next?’ Hermione asked.

‘Well, in a week’s time they want to hold the first ceremony for the Order of Merlin, and they’ll be honouring Professor Snape posthumously with us.’

‘I suppose that we did agree to it in return for this.’

Harry nodded. ‘And they’ll come to collect. Kingsley is the Minister now, and he is definitely a good man for the job. He gets stuff done. He has so much support here at the new ministry so he can expedite things as he needs to’

‘I suppose we did say yes…’ she repeated herself.

‘It’ll be fine, and hopefully mercilessly quick,’ he said with a wink. ‘Anyway, now that this is done, I have another serious matter that needs attending to.’

‘Are you going to have that chat with Ginny finally?

‘I think I’ve been putting it off for too long as it is,’ he replied. ‘I just don’t want to hurt her if things go really badly.’

‘It will go badly if you don’t end the charade sooner.’

‘I know,’ he said, his recent triumph already paling in the face of the task before him.

‘I love Ginny, and I want her to be happy. Just as I love and want you to be happy as well,’ she told him, throwing an arm around him in support. ‘It’s only been a couple of weeks and Ron and I are already in a decent place. I think if you are kind, Ginny will understand.’

Harry nodded, but then reached into his robe pocket and withdrew a vial from the depths. It was the vial of Snape’s silvery memories swirling inside. ‘Can you take care of these for me again?’ he asked. ‘I just want to be sure they will never get out and in the hands of the wrong people, and there are still just too many people at Grimmauld Place right now. I’m probably going to stay at Hogwarts for a few days while things have a chance to cool off. It’s not like I’m not already there every day anyway.’

‘That’s probably wise.’

‘How are things going with the hunt for your parents?’ he asked.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. It wasn’t going well. The last update she’d had was a week previous, and she wasn’t feeling particularly positive at this point. She was tempted to go to Australia on her own and see what she could do with a little digging of her own.

‘I still haven’t had any word on where they might have relocated to, but the search is still on.’

‘I hope they find something soon,’ he replied.

‘Me too, Harry.’

They made their way out of the Ministry then, heading to the Apparation points and going their separate ways. Hermione Apparated right into Snape’s office, the vial of memories clenched in the hand that was in her pocket. Unsurprisingly, Snape was sitting in his usual armchair and was looking at her with a mixture of amusement and ire. It was strange that he managed to render such conflicting emotions with a single look.

‘So?’ 

‘So, what, Severus?’ she retorted with a smirk.

‘The deliberation, witch,’ he sneered, losing his patience. It was clear he had been waiting the verdict anxiously, and she didn’t blame him. ‘What did the Wizengamot decide?’

Hermione pause for dramatic effect before the smile she was just barely containing was let loose. Snape’s expression changed to that of wonder. He’d clearly been expecting the worst. She approached him with a few long strides and grabbed one of his hands between both of hers.

‘You are a free man, Severus Snape.’

Hermione felt the breath leave her chest. In the blink of an eye, Snape had stood up from his armchair, dislodged her hands, and gathered her up in a tight hug that took her breath away. His strong arms completely engulfed her, holding her to him.

It was only natural for her to snake her arms around his shoulder and the back of his neck, returning the embrace. She was elated. The man holding her did not really seem like the type to hug another person. And she loved it. He was firm and she could smell his scent: pepper, fresh parchment and ink, sandalwood, and resin. If she were to brew Amortentia, she had a feeling this might now be what she smelled.

After a few moments she felt him release her and she took her arms away, afraid that if she clung to him, she might reveal too much.

There was a moment of awkwardness following where neither one was sure what to do or say. He moved back to resume his seat and she walked to her normal armchair, happy to put some distance between them.

‘I apologise for that,’ he said quietly, looking down at his hands.

‘Don’t apologise,’ she pleaded, still a little breathless. ‘I probably would have done the same if it had been me.’

‘Nonetheless, it was rude of me to presume,’ he contended, his voice a little raw with emotion.

‘I have something for you,’ Hermione opted to change the subject and let him off the hook. And, if she were honest with herself, it was as much for her own benefit to do so, anyway.

She reached into her pocket and withdrew the vial of memories from within. She held it out to him, and he reached out his hand to accept it. He held the vial and twirled it, looking as though he were deep in thought. After another moment, the vial disappeared into one of the pockets of his frock coat. She was surprised. Surely, he would want to return those memories to where they had come from?

‘Thank you, Hermione,’ he asserted. ‘For everything.’

‘You really don’t have to thank me,’ she said, flushing. ‘This is just my way of thanking you for saving all of us. Even when we all hated you, you never stopped trying to do the right thing.’

His expression darkened and his tone turned into one of warning. ‘I am not a charity case, Hermione.’

‘I know you’re not,’ her response was firm. ‘You’re just a person who didn’t have a fair chance, who finally gets to have one now. I can see your eyes already trying to argue with me - stop it.’

‘I can’t say that I can see or understand why you decided I was worth saving, but I will not look this gift horse in the mouth. If a second chance is what you are giving me, I will of course endeavour to be deserving of it.’

‘That’ll have to do then,’ she said with a smile. ‘Now we have the matter of when you would like to come out of seclusion to discuss.’

Hermione watched his face carefully to gauge his reaction. She hoped he would want to sooner rather than later so that she could stop keeping this from Harry. Although, when she did, she would have to explain to her best friend why she hadn’t kept him in the loop. And she would most likely have to move back home because what would people think if she just kept living with Snape? But then, she supposed they didn’t really need to know that either. She kicked herself internally – this was going to become somewhat complicated.

‘Soon, I think,’ he answered carefully. ‘I would like to be of some use now that I am almost fully restored. My magic is undisrupted, and it is only a matter of time before my energy levels return to full capacity.’

Hermione nodded. It had only been a month since the battle and he was looking a lot healthier – he was still lean, but the colour of his skin was not so ashy, and he was able to move around the house. Cooking meals had become something they took turns in doing or did together. Actually, preparing meals with him was something she had really come to enjoy. If she didn’t know better, she thought Snape might also be enjoying it as well.

‘Did you mean at Hogwarts with the restoration?’

He nodded. ‘I know the castle better than almost anyone,’ he replied. ‘I owe Minerva a great debt after my reprehensible behaviour towards her over the past year.’

‘You didn’t have a choice, Severus,’ Hermione was adamant.

‘We all have a choice, Hermione,’ he refuted her, his tone brooking no room for argument. ‘I simply chose not to burden her with the truth of my loyalties or situation.’

Hermione felt her heart break for him. He must have been incredibly lonely over the past year. Perhaps longer.

‘I think you will be very valuable at Hogwarts.’

Silence stretched between them, both reflecting on the conversation. She noticed that today Snape had built up and lit the fireplace, and the warmth radiated from it, the soft golden light flickering in the dimly lit room. She had come to really enjoy his home. She enjoyed the secret panels that separated the part he lived in from the part that received strangers. It was like getting a glimpse of the real Severus Snape that no one else really got to see. And she was starting to really like him, too, which thrilled and terrified her.

‘Do you think, perhaps, that we should tell Harry first?’ she asked, cutting through the silence.

‘I suppose he should be the first one. At least if he knows, it will be easier to broach the subject with the rest of the Order and then I don’t really care after that.’

‘I think Harry said he was going to stay at Hogwarts for a few days,’ Hermione offered. ‘It might be a good time to go there and maybe let both him and Minerva know?’

‘Today?’

‘When do you envision there will be a more opportune time?’ she asked with a smirk.

‘I suppose that they should be the first two,’ he agreed.

‘Harry’s going to have a fit,’ Hermione chuckled.

‘Minerva might just finish the job and kill me on the spot,’ Snape added, his own lips curling upwards in his customary smirk.

‘They’re going to be so upset with me for keeping you from them,’ Hermione quietly acknowledged, her mirth draining away with the realisation. ‘They’re going to be even less pleased when they find out I’ve been staying here for the past month…’

‘Correct me if I am wrong, Hermione, but are you not an adult?’

‘Yes...?’

‘Well then it doesn’t appear that there is a problem. You aren’t answerable to others about where you live. Should you choose to tell them that you have been staying here, it will still not be any of their business as to where or whom you are staying with,’ he argued. ‘If you choose not to tell them at all, you have no reason to feel any guilt. You were healing and nursing me to health for the past month – that is hardly inappropriate.’

‘And now that you are better, is it still appropriate?’

‘It’s not as though we are sharing a bed, Hermione,’ he responded, his voice all silk.

She could feel the blush travelling across her face and down her neck and chest. The moment he had said the word ‘bed’ she became flustered. Damn her hormones. She was out of control. She looked down at the hands in her lap as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her robe. When she glanced back up, she saw that he was smirking at her discomfort.

‘You are dangerously close to being just like Harry and Ron,’ she finally said, jutting her chin and accepting the unspoken challenge.

‘You compare me to your imbecilic friends?’ he asked, his lip curling into a sneer.

‘They often teased to make me uncomfortable. You are trying to wind me up,’ she pointed out, trying -and failing- to hide her amusement.

‘Ah, but how could I not when it is so easy to bait you?’

Hermione smiled and shook her head. It should not be so easy -or fun- to banter with Snape, but she was enjoying this side of him very much.

‘I’m going to have a nap, and afterwards we will go to Hogwarts. You should rest too, so you don’t become exhausted disillusioning yourself. I don’t think it’s wise for too many people to catch wind of this today,’ she said, hauling herself out of the armchair.

Snape nodded, summoning a book from the shelf wandlessly and without uttering a single word. Hermione was rather jealous. She was still getting the hang of wordless casting, but still had a way to go before she would even start to tackle wandless magic. Snape was a veritable pro.

She left the office and went to the room that had become hers over the past month. It was no longer a pristine guest suite and had small touches of her own personality and belongings in there. She had brought them from her childhood home because she needed to have some things to make it not feel foreign.

Snape had no idea, presumably, as he had never entered the room. He was the consummate gentleman and had never once encroached on the space he had given her. In fact, since he was well enough to bathe and use the bathroom, she had also avoided entering his bedroom. It was fine when he had been on death’s door, but now it felt too personal, too intimate. They had plenty of shared spaces, including the kitchen and the upstairs office. Neither one of them really used the sitting room, and she had only been in the lab he had installed in the basement once.

They were essentially roommates – and completely unlikely ones at that.

Hermione sat on the bed, hauling her legs up to curl up on top of the covers and pulling one of the pillows beneath her head. There was a gentle breeze drifting through the windows. It was a mercifully clear day after nothing but rain for a week. She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

When she woke, the sun was threatening to set. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up. She must have been more tired than she had thought. She slid off the bed and removed the formal robes she had worn to the Ministry, hanging them in the wardrobe with some of her other robes and dresses. She looked down at the clothes she’d been wearing underneath. Her jeans and the white blouse she had on would probably be fine for a trip to the school. It wasn’t as though there were any students there.

Sighing, she left the bedroom and walked down the hall, ducking her head into the office to see if Snape was awake.

‘Are you ready to go?’ she heard from behind her, and she spun around to find Snape standing there.

He was wearing his usual attire – all black trousers, a white pressed shirt and his black frock coat buttoned within an inch of its life. He seemed to have decided that his robes were not necessary either. It was summer after all, and it might have been warm on the school grounds.

‘Are _you_ ready, more like?’

He nodded firmly. ‘Take my hand,’ he instructed, holding it out. ‘We shall Apparate in tandem.’

She didn’t even question it and put her hand in his. A second later found them standing in front of the gates of Hogwarts, and Hermione released the breath she had been holding. She released his hand and a moment later he was no longer visible. She sucked in a nervous breath and they made their way to the castle. The only way she could tell he was walking beside her at all was because she caught a whiff of his scent. Once at the castle, they made their way up to the Headmistress’s office and the password had thankfully not been changed. At the door Hermione paused and decided to knock to announce her presence.

‘Come in!’ came the muffled reply.

She put her hand on the knob to turn it but froze. The anxiety was gnawing away in the pit of her stomach. Was this really the right decision or had she pushed Snape into this?

‘It’s time,’ he murmured softly, and she could feel his hand wrap around hers and turn the handle.

They opened the door as one and entered the office, finding Minerva seated at the large desk, her glasses perched on the end of her nose as she read the parchment in her hand.

‘Hermione!’ she exclaimed. ‘What a surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see you until tomorrow. Would you like some tea?’

‘Maybe in a little while, Minerva,’ Hermione answered, her voice quivering with nerves. She felt Snape’s hand on her shoulder as though he were trying to steady her. ‘Do you think you could call Harry to come here? I have something important to talk with you both about.’

‘Of course, my dear,’ Minerva said, standing from the desk and walking around to the fireplace. She tossed some floo powder in and spoke ‘Harry Potter’s room’ before standing back to await his answer to her call.

Harry’s face appeared in the green flames and he caught sight of Hermione standing nearby. ‘What can I do for you, Headmistress? Hermione?’ His surprise was evident on his face.

‘Would you mind coming through, Harry?’

‘Certainly,’ he answered, and a moment later he walked through the green flames and into the room. He dusted the soot that clung to his clothes. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘It appears Hermione has something of import to speak with us about.’

Harry turned to her, curious. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked, concern creasing a line between his brows.

Hermione nodded, drawing her wand from her pocket and casting a wordless charm to close and lock the door, as well as a _Muffliato_ to prevent anyone from overhearing the conversation. ‘I am sure you are both wondering why I’m here and I will get to that,’ she began. ‘I’m fine, honestly, I am.’

‘If you don’t tell us soon, I’m afraid Harry might think there is something actually wrong with you,’ Minerva said with a small smile.

‘Perhaps she has good reason to be nervous.’

Snape’s voice filled the room and was followed by silence. Hermione saw out of the corner of her eyes as the disillusionment fell away, revealing the man in question to the other occupants of the room.

‘SEVERUS?!’ ‘SNAPE?!’

Harry and Minerva’s voices rang out in unison, both of their mouths hanging open unattractively. To their credit, neither one of them drew their wand at the sight of the man they had presumed dead until only moments before. Snape crossed his arms over his chest with a look of amusement in his eyes. Hermione caught it because she was coming to recognise his little tells. He was enjoying the shocked faces of his friend and former student very much.

‘THIS IS WHAT YOU’VE BEEN KEEPING FROM ME?!’ Harry demanded loudly, turning his attention back to Hermione. He took a calming breath, but his eyes were still fiery as he continued to address her. ‘I knew there was something off, but this is one hell of a secret, Hermione.’

She felt herself flush, and she shrugged. ‘It wasn’t my secret to tell.’

Minerva’s expression turned into a frown and she stormed over to Snape. Then, with absolutely no grace whatsoever, she walloped his arm with surprising strength. ‘Severus Snape! How _dare_ you let me think you had died?’ she cried, her brogue thick with emotion, before throwing her arms around him in an embrace. ‘You’ve been alive all this time?’

Snape returned her embrace. ‘I apologise, Minerva,’ he said quietly to his friend. ‘I was very badly injured by Riddle’s pet snake. Hermione came back for me and nursed me back to health. We needed to be certain that I was no longer considered a criminal before I returned.’

It was Harry’s turn to frown then. ‘You could have trusted me with this,’ he argued, looking put out. ‘I could have helped you.’

Hermione put a gentle, conciliatory hand on her friend’s arm. ‘The less people who knew he was still alive before the outcome this morning, the better. It was too dangerous while he was still weak and recovering from the poison and trauma to his body.’

‘You look well, Severus,’ Minerva observed, finally releasing him.

‘You mean for a man presumed dead?’ he smirked.

‘I mean, you haven’t looked this well since you were younger than these two,’ she said, gesturing at Hermione and Harry.

And, for the first time in all her years knowing him, Hermione saw a flush spread across the cheeks of Severus Snape. He looked decidedly uncomfortable being revealed in front of them that way, so she decided to take pity on him.

‘I think we should tell the rest of the Order and Kingsley soon,’ she piped up, directing the attention away from Snape.

‘Of course, Kingsley will need to know first I think,’ Minerva agreed. ‘Oh, this changes everything. There is so much to be done.’

‘I apologise if this causes any inconvenience to you, Minerva,’ Snape drawled sarcastically, his smirk from earlier returning.

‘Oh hush,’ she said bossily. ‘Now, are you fully recovered from your injuries?’

‘I appear to be sufficiently recovered.’

‘Well, I need you here at the castle to help with restoring a lot of the damage done to the architecture. You know the castle better than myself, I’d wager, so having you direct the work there will free up some of my time for other matters,’ Minerva continued. ‘I’ll start you back here after the Order of Merlin ceremony this week. I think that might be the ideal public event to announce your return?’

Snape chuckled. ‘Whatever you like,’ he replied.

Hermione smiled at the interaction – Minerva was very direct, and Snape would go along with anything she said. She felt a hand on her elbow and turned away from their conversation to address Harry.

‘It was cheeky of you to keep this from me,’ he admonished quietly, his expression serious.

‘I know,’ she replied, having the grace to appear repentant. ‘I’m so sorry.’

His expression relaxed a little. ‘So, is that where you’ve been most of this month?’

She nodded. ‘Don’t get any funny ideas. He was horribly injured most of this time and recovering, and Severus is a very proper person – nothing untoward has happened.’

‘Severus?’ Harry repeated with wide eyes.

‘He isn’t my professor and it’s been a month, Harry,’ she chastened him. ‘Can you really see yourself going around calling him Mr. Snape?’

He smiled sheepishly. ‘I suppose not.’

‘Are you going to be okay with this?’ she asked, grasping his hand.

Harry smiled and nodded. ‘I trust you and, weirdly, I also trust him.’

‘I never thought I would ever hear those words come from your mouth.’

‘A month ago, neither did I,’ he said with a shrug. ‘Everything is different now.’

‘I guess it is,’ Hermione replied.

She glanced over to where Minerva and Snape were talking, and for a moment her eyes met his piercing black ones, and she knew all her efforts at suppressing her attraction to him had failed.

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To be continued.

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A/N – Thank you to everyone who has read and left me a review so far! Also, a huge thank you to my beta TheFauxMe for fixing all my mistakes and making things make sense!


	6. A Confrontation

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The doorway to Grimmauld Place had never felt more intimidating as it did that day – the door felt impossibly large and looming.

Hermione stood there staring at it, the seconds stretching out to feel like minutes. Snape stood beside her, this time without the veil of disillusionment hiding him from view. He was wearing his black robes over his usual attire as another layer of protection. She knew he was anxious – he had to be. She was felt anxiety gnawing within her. They had come to Grimmauld Place to let the rest of the Order members left know that he was still alive before the Order of Merlin ceremony the next day.

The previous day they had met with Kingsley at Hogwarts and it had gone very well. So well, in fact, that he had offered Snape a job in the Department of Mysteries heading up the Department after suffering the loss of its Head during the final battle. Snape had politely declined the offer, which had surprised Hermione a little. Kingsley had taken it all in his stride though – there would be other candidates, perhaps not as qualified as Snape, but there would be someone.

‘We should probably go in,’ Snape said, sighing heavily, interrupting her musings.

She nodded and walked up the steps, pulling open the front door and leading the way inside. Harry had agreed to get everyone down to the kitchen that morning for breakfast under the guise of an impromptu pre-celebration for the Order of Merlin ceremony. It was a flimsy excuse, but had nonetheless worked. She could hear quite the commotion coming from downstairs. At the top of the stairs down to the kitchen, she paused and turned to face Snape.

‘Are you ready?’

He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest. ‘You seem more nervous about this than I am,’ he commented.

She bit her bottom lip and frowned. ‘If I’m honest, I’ve been managing to tactfully avoid Ron for the past few weeks while he deals with the idea of us not being a couple, and I am concerned about his reaction to you being alive as being the cause of that. We had an understanding when I broached the subject several weeks ago but, knowing Ron, that will all go out of his head the second he finds out I’ve been spending the majority of my time with you.’

‘You are concerned he will make a scene?’ he asked.

‘A little, yes,’ she answered. ‘I’m also concerned we might have a row over it, and he will turn back into the sour, jealous git who pouted over me going to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum in our fourth year because he didn’t think to ask me first.’

‘You don’t seem to have a very high opinion of Mr Weasley’s maturity levels,’ he pointed out, drily.

Hermione thought he was onto something, but it was well-founded fear. ‘Ron has many fine qualities, but has the unique ability to forget certain things when it is convenient for him.’

‘So are we to stand here until you are sure he is grown-up enough to handle this?’

Hermione laughed softly. ‘We might die first,’ she said, starting to make her way deeper into the house and through the kitchen entryway.

The occupants of the kitchen started to come into view, and she could see Ginny was at the end of the table closest to her, sitting and chatting to Neville. The two of them must have noticed her, because they looked as though they were about to greet her, but their jaws dropped, and their eyes widened, and she knew they had caught sight of their former professor and headmaster walking in behind her.

‘PR’FESSER?!’ ‘SNAPE!?’

The room was in an uproar. Hagrid’s voice boomed over everyone else’s naturally, but there were so many exclamations and questions flying in their direction that it took Harry standing on the table and whistling as loudly as he could to shut them all up.

‘As you can see, the real reason why I asked you all here today has arrived,’ Harry declared loudly so that everyone could hear him. ‘I know you all have a lot of questions for the professor, but I think it can probably wait until later. Welcome back, Professor Snape.’

Hermione looked up to Snape’s face and could see that his jaw was clenched in discomfort. He did not enjoy being the centre of attention.

‘Thank you for your words, Mr Potter,’ he responded, his voice low but no less commanding. ‘I understand you will all be expecting some form of explanation as to why I have only revealed myself now. I was gravely injured by Nagini and have been in hiding during my recovery. I am to attend the ceremony tomorrow, but thought it wise to let you know now as to save you some shock then.’

‘Appy te see yer still alive, pr’fessor,’ Hagrid said, walking over to them in a few short steps and clapping him on the shoulder firmly.

‘Thank you, Hagrid,’ he said, putting his hand out to the half-giant to shake his hand.

Hermione felt her heart warm at the sight of the closed-off man shaking hands with her friend. It was such a wholesome moment. She cast her eyes around the room to take in some of the reactions from the other Order members. Molly and Arthur both looked surprised but pleased, a handful of people were confused, Neville and Ginny were both still slack-jawed, Minerva and Harry both looked rather amused, and Kingsley was snickering. She finally clapped eyes on Ron standing at the back of the crowd up the far end of the room, and he was scowling with his arms crossed in front of him.

He was mad.

She felt her eyes roll internally. A man who was exonerated and named a hero had essentially risen from the dead that day, and Ronald Bilius Weasley was going to make it all about himself. She moved away from Snape, feeling a little guilty about leaving him to fend for himself with the barrage of questions from the other people in the room, and made a beeline to deal with Ron. As she approached him, he pushed away from the wall and pointed at the doorway, and she sighed and followed him out of the kitchen. As soon as they were in the hallway he stopped dead and rounded on her.

‘How could you, ‘Mione?’

‘How could I what, Ron? You’ll have to be more specific,’ she said tiredly.

‘You walked into that kitchen with Snape in tow,’ he said, accusation in his tone. ‘There is no way you only found out about this today.’

‘If you’d care to ask me a question, I might answer it,’ she informed him curtly, her patience already wearing thin.

His face flushed red. ‘How long have you known that Snape was alive?’ he spat.

‘More than a month,’ she replied honestly.

‘Were you the one who saved him after the snake tore out his throat?’

‘Yes.’

‘Have you been taking care of him this whole time?’ he asked, his voice getting louder as he became more upset by her responses.

‘I have,’ she said simply, holding up a hand to stop him before he could ask another question. ‘And before you ask, the reason why I did not tell anyone was because I had to be sure he would live through his injury first -and then be exonerated- before revealing him.’

‘So you’ve just been shacking up with Snape this whole time?’

Hermione glared at him then, the thin string of her patience snapping. ‘Don’t you dare, Ron,’ she all but hissed, pointing an index finger sharply in the direction of the kitchen to emphasise her next point, ‘The man was at death’s door. I was hardly shacking up with him – he was injured. You saw it happen, you great bloody git.’

Ron’s ears turned red in his anger then. ‘Is this the reason you didn’t want to be in a relationship with me?’ he demanded, grabbing her arm hard. ‘You’ve gone and fallen for that greasy git and that’s why I lost you?’

Hermione tore her arm away from him, clutching it with her other hand. ‘I told you why I didn’t want to be with you weeks ago, Ronald,’ she said, furious that he would touch her that way. His jealousy knew no bounds. ‘We’ve been here all of five minutes and you’ve already twisted this narrative in your head. I don’t deserve this, and Professor Snape certainly doesn’t deserve this, either. He’s not some predator and I’m am not some weak-willed child who just wandered into his clutches. You are being irrational.’

‘You have always been blinded by his brains,’ Ron sneered. ‘Can’t you see he’s just using you?’

‘For what, Ron? To stay alive? To return to the wizarding world after years of sacrifice and solitude?

She sighed, bracing her back against the wall and looking up at the face of her friend and former paramour. She saw his cold expression and she felt sadness wash over her. Just once she would have liked for Ron not to be predictable. She noticed a distinct lack of noise coming from the kitchen and felt warmth suffuse her cheeks at the implication; everyone had probably heard their fight just now. She felt tears blur her vision and pushed away from the wall, brushing past Ron angrily on the way and shrugging away from his hand as he moved to try and stop her. She walked quickly out of the building and kept on going down the street, making her way to the park nearby. Once she was hidden by the trees, she Disapparated and reappeared in her room at Spinner’s End.

She threw herself onto the bed and let the tears and anger and emotions just flood out of her. It had been a month since she had allowed herself to cry, and even then she hadn’t really allowed herself to be emotional because there was too much at stake. Damn Ronald Weasley and his ridiculous jealousy and temper! He had no right to say those things to her. She knew he was perhaps right about her newfound feelings for Snape, but he didn’t _know_ that to be the truth. He was simply spewing blind accusations to hurt and humiliate her.

She cried until there were no tears left, and she was left wrung out emotionally and exhausted. She hadn’t even realised that she had fallen asleep until she heard a few sharp, firm knocks on her door that woke her suddenly from her slumber. Sluggishly, she pulled herself from the bed, briefly looking into the mirror she had placed on the wall near the door. She looked a fright. Her eyes were still red and a little puffy from crying, and her curls had started to escape the loose braid she had tied her hair in. Sighing, she turned the doorknob and opened the door to see Snape standing in front of it.

She opened it wider, stepping back and out of the way to let him in. It was the first time he had come into the room since she had moved in. He simply stood in the middle of the room and appeared to be taking in all of the small changes she had made to it.

‘I like the curtains,’ he said, turning towards her with a small smirk on his lips.

She breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Sorry I transfigured them,’ she said quietly.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked, a hint of concern flirting around the edge of his simple question.

Hermione hugged her arms around herself, sighing. ‘I’m fine.’

‘You mouth is saying one thing, but your face is telling a different story,’ he said, turning to face her. ‘Not to mention, we all heard your fight with Mr Weasley.’

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up immediately and covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. ‘Oh god,’ she whispered.

‘He is a boor,’ Snape declared quietly.

She dropped her hands. ‘I must have jinxed myself with our conversation before we went in.’

Silence fell over them for a moment before Snape walked back over to the doorway. ‘Come down for lunch,’ he requested, before walking out and down the hall.

Hermione looked at the clock on the chest of drawers and saw that it was almost one o’clock in the afternoon. She had slept for over three hours. She had no idea that being so distressed would be so taxing. It was a little warm, so she changed quickly out of the long-sleeved blouse she was wearing into a sleeveless mock turtleneck.

She went down to the kitchen and saw Snape at the table with the daily prophet held up with one hand and a sandwich in the other. He was sitting casually with his back to her, his long legs crossed in front of him. A plate of food and glass of what she presumed was juice was sitting out on the table for her.

She joined him and partook of the food gratefully. They ate in companionable silence and Hermione thought it was strange how well they seemed to get along and share his home. They were so similar in a lot of ways; both were quiet and bookish, enjoyed potions and literature, and both enjoyed cooking. She knew they had their differences as well. Snape had had a very hard life. She had enjoyed a very spoiled and privileged upbringing where she’d been given every opportunity she wished for. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t work hard or appreciate it all; Hermione did not like hand-outs. She wanted to earn her place in the world.

‘What are you going to do now?’ Snape asked suddenly, putting down the paper.

‘Today or sometime in the near future?’

‘In the future,’ he clarified.

‘Well, I think it might be time for me to go and see about retrieving my parents on my own now that you will be busy back at Hogwarts,’ she answered. ‘I’ve been putting it off because, quite frankly, I am afraid I will either not find them or, if I do find them, I won’t be able to revert their memories.’

‘I told you I would help you with that,’ he said.

‘I wasn’t sure if that offer still stood in light of everything,’ she murmured.

‘Do I strike you as the kind of person who makes false promises?’

Hermione snapped her eyes up to him and shook her head adamantly. She knew he was the kind of man who was true to his word – his history spoke for him. ‘Of course not, Severus,’ she said insistently.

‘Back to Severus now, is it?’ he said, his expression blank and his voice schooled to neutral.

He was, of course, referencing her earlier conversation with Ron. ‘Ron couldn’t handle that I had gone back to find you in the Shrieking Shack and heal you,’ she said bitterly. ‘Do you really think calling you Severus in front of him would have been wise? I called you by your given name in front of Harry and Minerva, whose opinions I value. As far as I am concerned, Ron doesn’t exist until he grows up and apologises to me.’

‘Your arm is bruised,’ Snape said, frowning.

She looked at where his gaze was directed and, sure as he had said it, there were small, dark, finger shaped bruises forming on her arm from where she had been grabbed. She couldn’t even find a way to excuse Ron manhandling her.

‘So it is,’ she murmured, looking back up at Snape.

‘I could kill that little rat,’ Snape bit out, looking furious.

‘I could too,’ Hermione agreed. ‘But Molly and Arthur have already lost one son. I won’t take away another.’

‘I have a salve that will get rid of those,’ he informed her, and with a subtle crook of his long fingers, he cast a silent summoning charm, and soon a little jar flew into his hand.

Hermione watched as Snape stood from his chair and moved around to her side of the table. He crouched down and had the lid of the jar off and, in seconds, was gently applying the salve to her arm wordlessly. She watched, holding her breath as his fingers deftly rubbed circles into the bruised skin and saw the little imprints slowly fade before her eyes. His touched whispered over her skin and she was feeling a little dizzy from the prolonged contact.

‘Thank you,’ she said, her voice a little shaky.

‘Think nothing of it,’ he replied, removing his hand from her arm and stepping back around to his side of the table to resume his seat, leaving the small jar with her. ‘Keep that in case you require more. I’ll need to teach you to brew it soon after all. I heard you will be working with Poppy Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing, replenishing supplies for her while she directs the restoration to the structural damage.’

‘Nothing gets by you,’ she said with a smirk.

His lips quirked. ‘The dungeons at the school were virtually undamaged because all of the damn Slytherins not involved in the battle were taken down there and kept safe,’ he said. ‘Which means my lab should be a suitable place to do the brewing. You will have full access to my old storage room and ingredients.’

‘Minerva is hoping that working on the school and being there will make you want to go back to Hogwarts to teach in the fall,’ she told him.

‘I know,’ he grumbled. ‘She has all the subtlety of a brick to the face.’

‘You don’t have to go back there,’ Hermione said. ‘You could do something else?’

‘Perhaps,’ he agreed with an incline of his head. ‘But I do owe Minerva at least one year of my life for everything last school year going ever-so-badly.’

‘Just think about it,’ she insisted.

‘So, when are you going to face your future instead of hiding out here and at Hogwarts?’ he asked.

‘I have some time,’ she answered lightly. ‘Last year side-tracked a lot of my learning, but I did buy all of the books we needed for our seventh year classes anyway and there were a lot of really boring nights when we were camping in the woods.’

‘You read through the entire seventh-year curriculum?

‘I like school,’ she said with a shrug. ‘I was good at it, despite your many attempts at trying to make me feel like a walking interruption.’

Snape had the grace to appear mildly chastened by her comment. He quietly acquiesced, ‘I wasn’t a very good teacher.’

‘You could be,’ she replied. ‘You are very skilled and knowledgeable. I think without the threat of mini Slytherin Death Eaters in-training waiting for you to slip so they might tattle to their parents, you could be a very good teacher. I expect you would always rule the classroom with an iron fist, but perhaps you wouldn’t have to target certain houses anymore and just be free to teach instead of play classroom politics.’

‘I had not really thought of it that way,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘To be fair, I wasn’t expecting to survive the war, so I wasn’t exactly thinking about my job prospects.’

‘I know, but that is why your options are so open to you now. Teach, don’t teach. The world is your oyster.’

‘You would make a fine teacher,’ he said, looking over at her.

Hermione smiled and shook her head. ‘Perhaps one day when I am a little older, but for now I think I would be more useful doing something practical that I can really dig my claws into.’

‘How old are you?’ Snape asked, curiously.

‘I’m nineteen,’ she answered. ‘I should be younger, but I gained quite a lot of time in my third year when Dumbledore let me use that time-turner to attend classes and I might have also used it in sixth year to get by. I’ll be turning twenty in September.’

Hermione was concerned about his asking her age. She knew she was young, and that one fact alone ensured that he would never be interested in her. Men like Snape would never be interested in getting involved with someone so young. She guessed that he would be roughly thirty-nine. Nineteen years was a fairly large age gap for some, but not in all cultures. It was quite common in the Magical community to have larger age gaps due to the how long magical folk tended to live. She gave herself a mental shake – there was no way in the world he would ever be interested, so she had no idea why she was entertaining the possibility.

‘I often forget how young you are,’ he murmured softly.

‘Only in age,’ she replied with a wry smile. ‘We all know that an old lady knitting tea-cosies lays just beneath the surface.’

‘Perhaps…’

‘I never did get around to asking, but how did everything go at Grimmauld Place after my early departure? I apologise for leaving you there to fend for yourself.’

‘Well, thankfully Mr Weasley did not come back to the kitchen to make us all feel more uncomfortable,’ he said with a smirk. Hermione laughed at that. ‘It was very civil. I had my hand shaken and my back and shoulders bombarded with pats more than any time in my life. I doubt it could have gone much better, and that will of course help with the ceremony tomorrow.’

‘I rather hope Molly will whip Ron into shape before tomorrow so that he doesn’t cause another scene,’ Hermione said quietly.

‘I am all too happy to whip him if she does not,’ Snape offered, frowning. ‘He should not have man-handled you.’

Hermione chuckled dryly. ‘I ought to have whipped him myself,’ she muttered. ‘Ron can be an oaf, but I really didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I think he is just embarrassed at the idea I might have left him for…’

She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

‘We all heard what he thought,’ Snape said calmly. ‘The idea that you would end your relationship with him for _me_ is laughable.’

Hermione felt her stomach twist into knots. _Laughable_. The idea of a relationship forming between them was laughable to him. That was it – she needed to find a way to move on from her silly thoughts of Snape, because she could see a world of heartache in her future if she didn’t. She stood up from the table then and cleared their empty plates and glasses. Perhaps she needed to think about moving out now that he was well. He did say she could stay with him indefinitely, but she didn’t realise how difficult that would be for her.

‘I think it might be time for me to think about moving my things home,’ she said quietly as she manually cleaned their dishes.

‘I see,’ Snape responded quietly. ‘Yes, I suppose that makes sense.’

‘You would be welcome there whenever you like,’ she offered. ‘I’ll tell you the address.’

‘You will always be welcome here, Hermione,’ he said, his voice low but serious. ‘No matter the time of day. It is safe here, and if you need a refuge, I will never deny you. Despite your protestations, I owe you a great debt, and I would repay you for it however I am able.’

Hermione spun and looked at him then. ‘I don’t want that,’ she replied quietly. ‘I don’t want you to feel indebted to me.’

‘Whether you like it or not, I am bound by more than just survivor’s guilt – it is magic that binds us.’

She nodded, twisting the hem of her shirt. ‘I have a lot of respect for you,’ she said firmly. ‘So whether this is survivor’s guilt, magic or whatever else it could be, I want you to know I will never use any of it to take advantage of you.’

His eyes were filled with surprise as her blunt words. ‘Thank you, Hermione.’

She was filled with sadness then. Had he never been told that he was worthy of respect? That he was a person who deserved to have a life not beholden to others’ will? Of course he hadn’t, because Dumbledore and Voldemort -and even Lily Potter to some extent- had all taken advantage of him one way or another. And that kind of thing would cause damage. Hermione wondered if she might be able to slowly help him realise his worth in time.

‘I should go upstairs and pack my things,’ she said, dropping her hands.

He nodded, turning back to pick up his newspaper and continue to read it. ‘Let me know if I can assist you in any way,’ he said, his voice a little tight.

Hermione felt her chest tighten, but pushed through it and made herself walk out of the kitchen and through the panel up the stairs. This was the right thing to do – so why on earth did it feel so wrong? She reached the room that had become her own and took her wand from her pocket and waved it. Her belongings quickly started to shrink down and pack themselves into the little beaded bag that had seen her and Harry through the war. In minutes the room was as it had been before she had moved in there.

With a soft sigh, she walked out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.

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To be continued.

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A/N - Thank you to everyone who has continued to keep up with this fluffy little tale. Big love to my beta TheFauxMe for continuing to lend me her skills in word wrangling. 


	7. Rebuilding

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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Soft light filtered in through the tall glass windows, casting a golden glow over the rows of beds, all made up with crisp white sheets.

Hermione held the clipboard in her arms tight to her body as she walked down the row of beds, inspecting them. Her work in the Hospital Wing had begun and she had spent the first half of her day taking an inventory of anything that needed to be replenished - from medical supplies and potions, to sheets and almost anything else she could think of. Poppy Pomfrey had been so happy and relieved when she had shown up that day to report for volunteer duty. A lot of structural damage had been done to this part of the building as the Death Eaters had wanted to make healing the wounded that much harder during the battle.

It was nearing lunch down in the Great Hall, so Hermione made her way to the matron’s office to report to her and drag her away from her work to eat. She had noticed that the Matron was often so busy that she would lose track of time, so she had made it her mission to ensure they both took breaks from their work to eat. As expected, the older woman was stuck behind a pile of paperwork at her desk.

‘Poppy, it’s time for a lunch break,’ Hermione said warmly.

Poppy looked up from the parchment in her hand and smiled at her. ‘Ah, yes thank you for reminding me,’ she said, dropping the paper down. ‘I am starting to go cross-eyed from how much paperwork is involved in the repairs.’

Hermione placed her clipboard down on the other side of the desk where there was a little free space, pocketing the list of potions that needed to be made. ‘I’ve completed the inventory finally,’ she said as they both walked out of the Wing and down the hall. ‘I think I should start work on refilling the potions supply this afternoon. It’s going to take a few weeks to have them all brewed as some of them having longer brewing times and some will need to sit in cauldrons to steep.’

‘I’ll ask Severus at lunch when he will be free to assist you with some of that and show you his old lab downstairs,’ Poppy said as they walked down the stairs.

Hermione felt her heart skip at the mention of his name, and frowned. She still had it pretty bad. It had been almost a week since she had moved out of his home and back to her family home. She hadn’t seen him properly since then, save for the occasional glance at lunch in the Great Hall over the past three days. They had both started their volunteer hours at Hogwarts on the Monday. It was now Wednesday and, although she was not deliberately avoiding him, she hadn’t actually spoken to Snape the entire time.

They arrived at the Hall and saw that most of the volunteers were seated at the house tables eating. The Head table wasn’t being used and sat empty at the far end. Poppy made a beeline in the direction of the other Hogwarts staff, and Hermione felt like she was being dragged along in the same direction. She sat down at the table to the right of Poppy, and that was how she ended up sitting directly opposite Severus Snape.

She looked up at him and his dark eyes made contact with her own. He nodded to her in greeting, and she offered a small, awkward smile in return.

‘Hello, Severus,’ she said quietly.

He finished chewing his mouthful of food. ‘Hermione,’ he acknowledged.

She hated the way his velvety voice seemed to caress every syllable as he said her name, as it always made her feel unsteady.

‘How are the repairs going in the Astronomy tower?’ she asked, deciding that she needed to keep the focus on castle talk.

‘The construction work is going well,’ he replied. ‘How goes it in the Hospital Wing?’

‘I think it’s going okay, but Poppy would know more than I,’ she answered, directing the attention onto the woman beside her.

‘Ah yes, hello Severus,’ Poppy said as she helped herself to some food. ‘It’s going well so far. The mountain of paperwork is astounding as I am sure you are aware, and quite frankly that sort of thing is just not my forte so to speak.’

He nodded slightly in acknowledgement. ‘I could be of some assistance with that,’ he offered.

‘I’d actually rather you showed Hermione down to your lab after lunch, if you don’t mind, and help her get started on refilling the potions supply,’ she said, before taking a bite of sandwich. ‘Will you be able to spare any time?’

‘I have some time,’ he answered, and Hermione felt her damn stomach flip. ‘We are ahead of schedule and I have no paperwork left to sort through.’

‘Excellent,’ Poppy said, beaming. ‘You’ll learn the ropes from Severus in no time, Hermione.’

Hermione smiled and nodded, casting her eyes down to her plate. She forced herself to eat something at lunch even though she was nervous about spending so much time in close quarters with Snape for the first time in days. She was certain they would work well together, but that wasn’t really the issue.

Lunch wrapped up rather quickly after that, and instead of going up to the Hospital Wing with Poppy, she followed Snape silently down to the Dungeons. He walked ahead of her, his black robes seemingly floating around him – it was like magic. He was so quiet, it made it easy to see how he managed to catch so many students who were out after curfew. It wasn’t long before they reached their destination, and she watched as Snape unlocked and removed the wards on the door. It opened for them and he walked in first, waving a hand to light the room.

Hermione’s eyes widened as she looked around, taking it all in. His lab in his basement at Spinner’s End was nice, but it was nothing compared to this one. He must have invested quite a lot of time and money into this one. It was twice the size, and had two large brewing benches in the centre – both fine and sturdy wooden ones. Along the far wall was an industrial sink for cleaning, and the wall to the right had a long bench and shelves for all of the cauldrons and other things required for brewing. To the left there was a heavy wooden door that she assumed housed his own private potions ingredient storage. It was incredible.

‘This is… there are no words,’ she said, looking up at Snape.

He smirked at her, crossing his arms over his chest. ‘I spent many years putting this room together myself,’ he informed her, walking over to the storeroom door.

A quick wave of his hand later and the door swung open, revealing all the neatly lined jars, bottles, and containers lining the shelves within.

‘I wasn’t so sure you could top the lab itself, but there is something to be said for an orderly storeroom,’ she said with a smile.

He looked a little uncomfortable at her comment and a flush stole across his cheeks. She got a secret pleasure out of drawing those from him – it made him seem more human.

‘We should begin,’ he said, walking over to the shelves and collecting two large pewter cauldrons. He set down one at each bench and Hermione joined him at the storage shelf to collect stirring rods, and the gasless Bunsen burners and stands for the cauldrons.

They set up together in silence, and Hermione pulled the list from her robes. There were so many potions she would need to make, and Snape would likely not be able to help her with all of it. He did have his own task assigned to him after all. She made her way into the storeroom and began collecting ingredients. She looked at a high shelf containing a small jar of marigold seeds, and she reached for it. She was nearly about to give up and grab the ladder when she felt a presence behind her. Snape reached up past her and collected the jar with ease, his robes brushing against her as he did.

‘Thank you,’ she said, feeling a little breathless at how close he was to her.

‘Being tall has its advantages,’ he said, taking a step back from her.

He continued to grab a few jars from the shelves – mostly the ones that were just out of her reach- and she collected the ones lower down. They went back into the work room and separated the jars at each station. They had wordlessly decided to start at the top of the list. Hermione cast a charm to light both of the burners and measured water into both of the cauldrons while Snape collected a couple of chopping boards and sharp knives.

They worked in silence, Snape occasionally checking in on her brew to ensure that she was on track. She didn’t mind – it had been a while since the last time she had brewed potions and never before had she been responsible for making the ones to be used by Poppy for the students. She was a little nervous that her skills would not be up to scratch. But, other than correcting her stirring pace once, Snape had not said a word to her while he worked on his own.

‘I’m nearly finished here,’ she said, trying to ignore the bead of sweat that had started rolling its way down her temple and past her ear on its way to the hairline at the base of her neck. Brewing was warm work, even in the cold dungeons.

‘I’ll take a look in a moment,’ he replied, stirring his own cauldron with precision at exact intervals.

It had been roughly three hours that they’d been down there, and they’d barely spoken a word to one another. Brewing required a lot of concentration, so Hermione was glad that it kept her occupied rather than spending the entire time in Snape’s presence feeling ridiculous. Just because she fancied him didn’t mean she had to lose her mind around him. She shed her robe and folded it neatly, placing it on the workbench as far as she could from the cauldron to avoid contamination or setting it on fire, and then sat on one of the stools to wait.

She glanced at the tall, dark haired man across from her and watched his hands as he worked. All of his movements were like a dance. He had no idea how striking he was while he worked. His hair hung just a little in his face – enough to barely hide the majority of it from view. It was very fine hair though, so it was prone to falling limp in the humidity generated by the cauldrons. She wanted to reach out and tuck his hair behind his ear, so her view was not so obscured. There was something fascinating about his hands while he worked as well. The long, pale fingers were deft, and she knew them to be strong from the few times she had touched him or vice versa.

‘Are you quite done with staring then?’ he asked, and she snapped her eyes up to his face feeling both surprised and embarrassed at being caught out.

‘I was just watching you work,’ she said, blushing.

‘And did you learn anything?’

She stood from her seat and walked over to join him, taking a look into the cauldron. ‘Just that you are very good at your job,’ she said, and it was at least half true. ‘You are so efficient – not a single movement is wasted while you are brewing. I also noticed a lot of your technique is not taught. You are a natural Potions Master.’

It was his turn to flush again slightly. ‘Brewing is rather like cooking in many ways,’ he said, snuffing the flame beneath his cauldron.

‘I hope my work will be satisfactory,’ she said, leading him back over to her station.

He peered in at the Calming Draught she had brewed, and she briefly had a small flashback to her time as his student during the assessment of one of her class assignments. She clamped down on the feeling of inadequacy, reminding herself that this man was not the same one who had torn her down in classes back then – that man had not been the real Snape, simply a shadow. This man was fair: his standards were high, but they were just.

‘I’m not your professor, Hermione,’ he said, looking down at her face. ‘It’s not pass or fail. You don’t have to be concerned that I will give you a bad mark. I… regret my behaviour when I was your teacher. You were an excellent student who did not deserve to be derided in front of her peers for being enthusiastic about school. I wish I had more students who cared about learning as much as you do.’

She stared at him agape for a moment before closing her mouth. ‘I understand now why you were unkind towards me,’ she said quietly. ‘Harry and Ron being my close friends and being in Gryffindor meant that you could never show any favouritism towards me. You know, the hat almost sorted me into Ravenclaw.’

‘It nearly sorted me there too.’

‘I think the thing that tipped me over into Gryffindor was my determination to prove myself, perhaps,’ she mused, staring into her cauldron and watching the potion swirl within. ‘Being a Muggleborn put me at a disadvantage and I was so determined to prove that I deserved to be here as much as anyone from a Wizarding family.’

Snape chuckled. ‘You have always been a determined little thing,’ he said, leaning against the bench. ‘Case in point; your brew is perfect.’

‘It is?’

‘I’m not in the habit of handing out false compliments to make people feel better about themselves, Hermione,’ he said, pushing away from the bench. ‘We should bottle the potions and clean up. It’ll be nightfall soon enough.’

‘I don’t mind seeing to this if you have to head back up to the Astronomy tower?’

‘I had better check that the imbeciles are not making a mess of my plan,’ he agreed. ‘Are you certain?’

She nodded, a little relieved that he was leaving. She was feeling far too many mixed emotions and his being there wasn’t making it at all easier to sort through them. ‘I have this. Go.’

‘Good Evening, Hermione,’ he bid her quietly, before sweeping out of the room.

Hermione sighed heavily, leaning against the nearest workbench. They had been down there for a few hours and she was exhausted both physically and mentally. Being in a room with him had been torture. Watching him brew with such skill and finesse had felt like double the torture. She rather hoped now that she had access to his lab he might leave her to do the brewing largely alone. And yet, she keenly felt his absence.

The week that she had been living back at her childhood home had been lonely. She thought about asking Harry to stay with her just so that she wasn’t so alone, but decided against it. She didn’t want to bring him into it. And ever since their time on the run together, Harry had become very shrewd when it came to reading her emotions. She was worried he would figure out that she had growing feelings and a pretty intense attraction to their former professor, and she thought he might not be a fan of this fact.

She pushed away from the bench and went to the supply shelf and levitated two boxes of empty glass flasks to the work benches. She cast a few cleansing charms to ensure they were clean before carefully ladling the potions into the flasks and returning them to the box. After she had filled them, she sent the cauldrons to the sink and set about filling them with water to soak while she labelled the flasks and dated them. She took her time with that task – she wanted to be certain it was exact as these would be used on other people.

After setting the filled flasks aside, she returned to the task of cleaning, manually scrubbing both cauldrons and every single implement that they used to brew. She used drying charms and put every ingredient back into the storeroom where it belonged, determined to leave the place as perfect as it had been on arrival. Once her chores were complete, she checked the two potions off her list and levitate the two boxes of medicine ahead of her as she locked up and left the lab and dungeons, heading back to the Hospital Wing to finish up for the day.

When she arrived, she stored the potions immediately in a lockable cabinet, before poking her head into Poppy’s office to see how she was faring before leaving.

‘I’m all done for the day,’ she said to the matron who was still at her desk.

‘Oh wonderful, thank you Hermione,’ she said. ‘I hope Severus was not unkind to you.’

‘He hasn’t been unkind towards me for a long time now,’ Hermione answered, feeling a little defensive of him. ‘His assistance today was invaluable.’

A strange look crossed Poppy’s face for a moment before she nodded and smiled. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow?’

Hermione nodded. ‘See you then,’ she said before walking out of the Hospital Wing.

She walked down the stairs to the Entrance Hall, and by the doorway she saw Harry was there… talking to Snape. There was no way for her to avoid them, so she approached slowly. She felt like an infatuated little girl and was sick of getting so flustered by the tall dark-haired man. The two men stopped talking when they saw her approach.

‘Hermione!’ Harry exclaimed cheerfully. ‘Would you like to join the Professor and I for dinner?’

‘I’m not your professor, Potter,’ he said gruffly.

‘Oh right! Would you like to join _Severus_ and I for dinner? We’re heading to the Three Broomsticks.’

‘Oh…um, sure Harry,’ she stammered.

‘Well try not to sound so enthusiastic,’ Harry teased jokingly. ‘Let’s go!’

Harry swung around and marched off down the stairs, leading them on the pathway to Hogsmeade. Snape cocked an eyebrow at her in challenge before turning on his heal to follow. She sighed and bit her lip before moving her feet to follow them. She kept up pace with Snape, walking beside him silently. Harry dropped back to join them, and he linked arms with her, which she was grateful for. Harry had spent the day working down at Hagrid’s hut, helping with the rebuilding there with the half-giant.

He chattered on as they walked, and soon enough they arrived at Hogsmeade and walked up to the pub. Once inside, Madam Rosmerta seated them at a table and took their drink order. Hermione hadn’t had a butterbeer in a long time, so she was looking forward to it.

‘So, what did you get up to today?’ Harry asked her, as their drinks arrived.

‘I inventoried the Hospital Wing,’ she answered, taking an appreciative sip of her drink. ‘And this afternoon Severus and I brewed some potions to start restocking the infirmary.’

‘Of course,’ Harry said cheerfully. ‘How is the Astronomy Tower going, Severus?’

‘Passable,’ Snape replied quietly. ‘I am going to pass over the project now that I have mapped out what work needs to be done. That is in essence my role – mapping out work and setting up a project manager.’

‘That makes sense,’ Harry said. ‘This is about the most tired I’ve ever been. It’s such hard work rebuilding things with magic – I wouldn’t have ever thought so, but my muscles hurt every night.’

‘I might have a potion to help with muscle relaxation for you,’ Snape offered, much to Harry’s surprise. ‘Don’t look so shocked. I’m not a monster.’

Hermione smiled. She was used to seeing more of this side of Snape – he wasn’t warm, cuddly and friendly, but he was surprisingly empathetic in a way she had been stunned by to begin with. He was just awfully clever at hiding it with a veneer of sarcasm and his rough bark.

‘I think I might have to take you up on that,’ Harry said, poking at his own arm. ‘By the time we are finished with the castle, I’m going to be fit.’

Hermione chuckled. The idea of Harry being fit was laughable. He had always been a skinny, gangly guy, and as he had gotten taller, it had only become more pronounced. He wasn’t as tall as Snape, but he was tall. It wouldn’t hurt for either of them to put on a little weight. Rosmerta returned to the table and took their meal orders and they soon had steaming plates of food in front of them, and she finally realised how hungry she was.

‘How’s your food?’ Harry asked them.

‘Good,’ Hermione answered, breaking off a little of her bread roll and dipping it in the gravy. There was only one meal that you ever ordered if you were smart at the Three Broomsticks, and it was Rosmerta’s famous pot roast and gravy.

‘Your mouth is saying good, but your eyes are telling me another story,’ her friend teased.

‘Severus makes better roast,’ Hermione admitted quietly, trying hard not to look at the man beside her.

Harry looked surprised once more. ‘You can cook?’

‘Don’t look so surprised, Potter,’ Severus said with a smirk that Hermione caught in her peripheral. ‘And don’t wait around for an invitation either.’

‘I won’t hold my breath,’ Harry said with a chuckle. ‘I’m probably more surprised that Hermione has eaten your food before, to be honest. But I probably shouldn’t be, given that she is staying with you.’

‘Was,’ Snape corrected.

‘Wait, what?’ Harry said, frowning. ‘Where are you staying now, Hermione? And why didn’t you tell me?’

Hermione felt her face flush with warm as their attention fell on her. ‘I moved back into my family home about a week ago,’ she answered. ‘I, uh, didn’t think it was important enough to make a big deal out of.’

Her friend’s frown deepened. ‘I know you are very capable of defending yourself, but the fact that you were with Severus meant that I didn’t have to worry if you were safe or not. I bet he has all kinds of protection spells on his house. I know Riddle is dead, but some of his followers are still out there.’

Hermione flashed him a warning look. ‘Harry, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself,’ she chided. ‘I moved out of Severus’s home because he is, as you can see, perfectly able to care for himself now, and didn’t need me there underfoot.’

‘You were not underfoot,’ Snape contended, cutting in suddenly.

She looked directly at him then, and felt her stomach flip as she stared into his dark eyes. ‘I just didn’t want to be a burden.’

‘You are not a burden.’

‘There, see Hermione,’ Harry said, putting his hand over hers where it rested on the table. ‘We all have to be there for one another now. You are the only family I’ve got, and I just want to know you will be safe.’

Hermione sighed, turning her hand over to grasp her friend’s hand. ‘Will it make you feel better if I impose on Severus’s hospitality again?’ she asked.

‘It will, actually,’ he answered with a grin.

Hermione looked back up at Snape, anxiety beginning to gnaw within her as he had been largely silent through that exchange. His eyes were on her, and they were completely unreadable. His hands were templed under his chin, and his expression remained blank as though he was considering something.

‘Potter, you could also move into the other guest room if you would like,’ he said, finally breaking his silence.

‘What?’ Harry and Hermione said in unison.

‘There are several unoccupied rooms in my house – more than enough for the both of you,’ he replied, his voice remaining surprisingly even. ‘While Grimmauld Place is still housing the Weasley Family and various other Order members, you and Hermione could both remain at my home. I would not be surprised that you are not enjoying living at Hogwarts during the rebuilding.’

‘Thank you, Severus,’ Harry said, his voice still filled with surprise and a hint of shock.

Hermione looked at her former professor then and smiled, trying to impart her appreciation of his offer to Harry with her eyes before turning her attention back to her friend.

‘Actually, Harry,’ she said after having a sip of her drink. ‘You never did tell me how things are with Ginny and the Weasleys.’

‘Ah,’ he muttered, looking down at his plate and sighing. ‘Well, as you can imagine, Ginny didn’t take it well. I think after waiting so long for it, she was disappointed that I just wasn’t interested in a relationship now that we could.’

‘It was wise of you not to lead the poor girl on,’ Severus interjected.

Harry nodded. ‘I know. It just wasn’t a nice feeling to hurt her,’ he said, spearing a baby carrot on his plate. ‘It hasn’t been long, so I’m sure it will get better with time.’

‘It’s just as well the family is focussed on the rebuild of the Burrow,’ Hermione said. ‘Honestly, I don’t know if I could deal with Ron at Hogwarts right now.’

‘Never fear. No Weasley has ever set foot on my property and, while I am on perfectly good terms with Molly and Arthur, not one of them ever will,’ Snape said firmly.

‘Are you still secret kept?’

He nodded. ‘You can tell Harry the address when you return. Come any time,’ Snape answered.

And with that he returned to eating his meal, leaving Hermione to reflect. Had she just agreed to move back into Snape’s house? She swallowed her nerves and covered it by resuming her meal, watching and listening at Harry spoke to the Snape as they ate. She was going to have to figure out a better way of dealing with her feelings before Harry picked up on anything, or it was going to become very awkward for her.

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To be continued.

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Thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with this story, and been so enthusiastic about it! I hope you continue to enjoy it. Thanks, as always, to my wonderful beta TheFauxMe.


	8. Travel Arrangements

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The rain was falling in large fat droplets that splashed against the tiled roof and battered against the windows loudly.

Hermione had been drifting in and out of sleep that morning, trying to fight for just a little longer under the covers. As the summer had progressed, it was becoming steadily rainier as Autumn drew nearer. There was still a month left until the change of season, but Hermione was finding the dreary weather cold, which made it difficult to get out of bed. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the sounds of the storm, when she heard a sharp tapping on her window.

Sitting up suddenly, she saw that there was a barn owl there with a piece of parchment attached to its leg. She quickly unlocked and opened the window, letting the poor little bird inside. It was drenched, but by the looks of it, the parchment had been charmed against the weather. She removed the letter and grasped it tightly, and let the owl perch on her arm, leaving her room and heading to Snape’s office where she had seen a perch. Placing the owl there, she cast a quick wandless water repelling charm, and built up the fireplace, lighting it to warm the room.

‘I’ll get you a little snack,’ she told the owl, petting its little head in appreciation before shuffling out of the office and down to the kitchen.

When she arrived in the room, she was surprised to see both Harry and Snape seated at the table eating breakfast. She looked down at herself, and remembered she was wearing her pyjamas. They weren’t inappropriate, but it was a matching button up top and short bottoms that were covered in a silly cat print. Her mother had bought them for her as a joke gift before she had sent them away. Both men sat smirking at her, and she flushed.

‘There is an owl,’ she explained. ‘It woke me.’

‘Is it hungry?’ Snape asked, standing from the table and moving into the kitchen.

Hermione nodded. ‘I was just coming to fetch it something. It’s in the office on the perch. I lit the fire,’ she answered.

Snape put some bits of toast -and fished a bit of roast out of the refrigerator leftover from the night before- onto a small plate and held it out to her. She smiled her thanks, and nodded before quickly leaving the kitchen without another word, desperate to get her cat pyjamas out of their line of sight. She probably looked a fright – her hair was often an unmanageable mess when she woke in the morning and required a lot of taming.

She returned to the study and placed the food on Snape’s desk, and the little owl hooted in delight and floated down from the perch to nibble at the offerings. She gave its fluffy head an affectionate pat and left it there to eat while she got changed. She quickly exchanged her cat pyjamas for a practical pair of blue jeans and a white buttoned blouse. She looked down at herself as she buttoned the shirt. She was still fairly thin after the stress of the war, but she was starting to look at little more healthy. She’d never be a very curvy girl – both of her parents were rather thin as well – but she did appreciate that her bra was starting to fit her properly.

Sighing, she pulled on a pair of brown boots and tied the laces before casting a quick charm to make her bed, and sitting on it to unroll the letter.

Her eyes scanned over the words, and opened wider in surprise. Her parents had been found. She felt excitement and anxiety bubble within her. She launched herself up and out of the room, briefly diverting to check on the owl. It was still eating, so she rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Harry and Snape both looked up at her in surprise. She made a beeline to Snape, and she pushed the letter into his hand.

‘What’s wrong, Hermione?’ Harry asked.

She chewed in her bottom lip for a moment before taking a deep breath. ‘I know where to find my parents,’ she replied shakily.

He stood up and smiled, throwing his arms around her in a tight hug. ‘That’s incredible!’ he exclaimed. ‘When can you go get them?’

‘I was actually hoping to go right away,’ she answered, moving away from Harry and looking at Snape. ‘If you don’t mind going with me today?’

‘Of course,’ he answered without taking a moment to think it over.

‘Severus is going to help me with trying to restore their memories,’ Hermione turned to tell Harry, lest he get the wrong idea.

‘I get it,’ Harry said, holding his hand up to stop her from needing to explain further. ‘Severus is a Legilimens. I’m sure having him there for help will be important.’

‘Thanks Harry,’ she said quietly, so grateful that her best friend was understanding.

It had been several days since the two of them had moved into Spinner’s End, and it seemed to her that Harry and Snape had become comfortable around one another. It had been awkward for the first few days integrating their routines, and while he was improved, Snape was still rather grouchy, especially in the mornings before coffee. But there they had been that morning eating breakfast together and getting along, and it made Hermione’s heart thud in her chest and warmth spread through her.

She had found hiding her growing feelings for Snape difficult to ignore for the first couple of days, but now she was getting used to hiding them again and no one needed to know that she was attracted to him – least of all Snape himself. If he knew, he’d likely never speak to her again, and that would be incredibly awkward.

‘I don’t think the Ministry is likely to grant a Portkey with so little notice,’ Snape said.

‘I could ask Kingsley,’ Harry offered.

‘Actually that might not be such a good idea,’ Hermione said, fidgeting with the bottom of her blouse. ‘Spells that are used to alter memories aren’t technically legal… I made a very hasty decision, which has saved their lives, but I’ve sort of put myself in an awkward situation.’

‘I shall take care of travel arrangements,’ Snape declared, his tone final.

‘It was selfish of me to involve you in this,’ she said to the tall man who had moved to stand beside her.

‘Nonsense,’ he dismissed, walking through the kitchen and towards the panel before the stairs. ‘Give me a little time to prepare. We can leave in twenty minutes.’

Hermione stood in the kitchen with Harry, her mind and pulse racing. She was finally going to be able to see her parents. In that moment it didn’t matter that their memories might be lost forever, all she knew was that she would be able to see they were safe and alive.

‘Are you okay?’ Harry asked, concerned.

‘I’m fine,’ she answered, not even really believing herself. ‘Really, Harry. I am just a little overwhelmed.’

‘Do you want me to come?’ he offered.

She shook her head. ‘Don’t take it the wrong way, I would love it if you could come, but I need you to let Minerva know why Severus and I won’t be at the castle today. Also, we aren’t super familiar with where we are going, and the less suspicion drawn to us the better.’

Harry smiled in understanding. ‘I hate to say it, but even now Severus isn’t exactly inconspicuous,’ he said with a chuckle.

Hermione smiled and nodded. ‘I know, but we’ll make do,’ she replied. ‘I need to go up and get my bag.’

‘Your beaded bag of tricks, you mean?’

Hermione chuckled. ‘Yes, that bag.’

‘Good luck today,’ he said, giving her a hug. ‘I had better clean up the kitchen and head to Hogwarts.’ 

‘Thanks, Harry,’ she said, ducking out of the kitchen and dashing up the stairs.

She ran into Snape in the upstairs hallway. He had shed his robes and was wearing just his frock coat, but it was unbuttoned and hung open, revealing the crisp white shirt he wore beneath it. It was the most casually she had seen him dress in the weeks since his recovery. She couldn’t take her eyes off him – he cut such a striking figure. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, and she could see the scars on his neck. They had healed rather well, although they were still red and pink and stood out stark against his pale skin.

Without even realising what she was doing, her fingers reached up and brushed aside his collar, and she gently touched the scars. His sharp intake of breath startled her out of her trance, and she tried to snatch her hand back, but he caught it with his and held it. His dark eyes caught hers and she thought for a second she could see something in them that could be reflected in her own.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered, her hand trembling. ‘I just hadn’t seen your scar in a while. I was wondering how it was healing.’

‘It appears to be healing just fine,’ Snape replied, his eyes still searing her, his strong hand still grasping hers.

‘I’m sorry I wasn’t able to do a better job of healing it,’ she said, quietly.

‘An ugly scar is preferable to the alternative outcome,’ he replied, releasing her hand finally. ‘I let the owl out.’

‘Thank you. I just have to get my bag.’

She hurried down the hall and went into her room, closing the door behind her gently. She shakily let out the breath she had been holding. Her hand still tingled from his touch. His hand had been surprisingly warm. Hermione took a few deep breaths to try and steady her pulse. She quickly summoned her bag, and did a quick check to ensure she had everything she would need. She left the room and found Snape waiting at the top of the stairs waiting for her. He held out her letter, and once she had tucked it into her bag, he held out a book towards her.

‘Take hold,’ he said firmly. She grabbed hold of the book, and in seconds Snape’s free arm was around her, holding her close to him. She felt her breath leave her body. ‘ _Etoile_.’

She felt the familiar, uncomfortable tug behind her navel and didn’t have any more time to think about how thrilled she was that he was holding her. When they landed, she was on her feet still, miraculously held upright by Snape. The wave of nausea still came though, and she felt dizzy and weak. Despite trying to keep it together, her knees buckled, and she felt herself sliding downwards. But she need not have worried, for in seconds Snape had an arm behind her knees and he had scooped her up in his arms and held her against him.

She closed her eyes in embarrassment at being carried like a child. He walked with her in his arms this way a short distance, before she found herself being deposited gently on a park bench. He stepped back away from her then, and sat beside her on the bench. When she opened her eyes, his expression bore concern and she felt her stomach flip in an altogether different way than it had moments before. Hermione reached into her bag and summoned a bottle of water, taking a mouthful of it and waiting for her stomach to settle.

‘Are you alright?’

‘I apologise,’ she said weakly, humiliation tinting her cheeks. ‘I don’t travel by Portkey well. I should have given you some warning.’

‘You are not alone in finding Portkey travel uncomfortable,’ he said, not unkindly.

‘Still, after all these years you would think I would be more used to it,’ she replied. ‘Where are we?’

‘In a park,’ he responded with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes at him. ‘Is this the city that my parents are in?’

‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘This park is located a block away from the address in that letter. Welcome to Sydney, Hermione.’

She stood up from the bench, swaying a little. In seconds, Snape was up beside her, putting his hand behind her back to steady her. She gave him an appreciative smile. ‘It seems I’m not as ready to go as I thought I was.’

‘Hold onto my arm,’ he said, holding it out to her. ‘We can walk at whatever pace you care to set.’

Wordlessly, she slipped her small hand into the crook of his elbow. They walked side by side, and Hermione wondered why he was being so patient with her. Perhaps he felt sorry for her? She wasn’t sure. She looked down at the point where her hand and his arm intersected, and wondered what he was thinking.

‘I think we might need to have a talk,’ Snape said, startling her into looking up at his face, his long hair obscuring it mostly from view.

‘Do we?’ she said, her stomach feeling like lead.

He stopped, turning to face her and dislodging her hand in the process. She looked up at his face, and saw that his brows were furrowed. He sighed heavily, and grasped her hand, leading her along the footpath in the direction of a park bench further along the path. He released her hand and gestured for her to sit. He sat beside her again, staring straight ahead of him, looking as though he wanted to say something.

‘What are you planning to do if we are able to restore your parents’ memories? Do you think that you might want to study? Or work?’ he asked.

Hermione found his question surprising. She had been thinking about this herself lately, and had an idea, she supposed. ‘I think I want to become a Healer,’ she answered.

He turned his head to look at her then. ‘At St. Mungo’s?’

Hermione nodded. ‘I have been speaking to Poppy about it, and she is going to organise an Apprenticeship there for me when the new school year begins.’

‘I see,’ he murmured, turning back to stare at the street.

‘What are you going to do?’ she asked.

‘Minerva has convinced me to teach for a year,’ he replied. ‘She thinks that it will be a good show of solidarity to the magical community. She probably isn’t wrong.’

‘What will you teach?’

‘Potions,’ he said with a smirk. ‘She has recruited Bill Weasley to join the faculty as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.’

‘She’s sharp, that Minerva,’ Hermione said with a smile.

‘You could stay… at Spinner’s End,’ he said, glancing at her. ‘While you are completing your studies.’

She beamed at him. ‘Thank you, Severus,’ she said, reaching out a hand and touching his arm.

His free hand came to rest over hers on his arm, holding it there. ‘It is important to me that you are safe,’ he told her, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.

She gasped softly, surprised. His hand was warm and strong, and his skin was soft. ‘I… am confused,’ she whispered.

‘As am I,’ he admitted, releasing her hand.

Hermione keenly felt the loss, but not for long as the same hand wound around her back of her neck, his fingers weaving lightly into the curls at the base. They were eye-to-eye, his face looming very close to hers. There was a vulnerability and question in his eyes that drove her to respond in some way, so she reached her hand up to his cheek, gently tucking a strand of hair hanging in front behind his ear.

Apparently that was all the answer he needed, for a moment later the breath left her as his lips touched hers, gently at first, but with more pressure as she responded in kind. This gentle kiss was everything she had wanted for months, and she closed her eyes, determined to savour every moment. Not long after, he pulled back and she opened her eyes to see that he was already starting to second-guess his actions. She took a deep, steadying breath and leaned forward, capturing his thin lips in another sweet kiss.

Daringly, she gently swept her tongue along his bottom lip, and it seemed to be just the thing to awaken the fire within him. His kiss became hungry; lips pressing, him gently suckling her bottom lip, his tongue sweeping into her mouth to taste her. He pulled back again, this time to regain his breath and some semblance of control. His hand released the back of her neck, sweeping around and up to cup her cheek, thumb sweeping over her cheekbone.

‘That… did not clear things up,’ he said, his voice rough.

She chuckled releasing his cheek to hold the hand that was over hers, weaving her fingers through his long ones, and pulling it down to rest between them. ‘That is an understatement,’ she said quietly. ‘I wasn’t expecting this today – or ever really.’

‘I apologise,’ he said, moving to pull his hand away.

She gripped his hand tighter, refusing to let him avoid talking about their kiss. His eyes snapped up to hers, and she shuffled closer to him on the bench, so their legs were touching.

‘Do you regret kissing me just now?’

‘I probably should,’ he said, staring back out to the street but not releasing her hand. ‘But I have apparently taken leave of my senses and have become a lecherous old man.’

‘You are hardly a lecherous old man, Severus,’ she said, her stomach fluttering at his admission. ‘Does my age bother you?’

‘I would be lying if I said it doesn’t,’ he admitted. ‘But I am becoming less inclined to care by the second.’

Her breath caught. ‘I’d really like it if you would kiss me again,’ she said, her cheeks flushing.

She didn’t even have a second to be embarrassed by her words when his lips were on hers again, and this time she sensed no hesitance at all as he plundered her mouth. She wondered if she should be concerned that they were snogging like randy teenagers on a park bench in the middle of Sydney, but then, she didn’t really care. She wanted to be devoured by him, and his kiss was definitely consuming. This time he gently pressed kisses along her jaw and placed one last lingering kiss behind her ear.

‘Hermione,’ he murmured, his warm breath puffing over her ear and neck.

‘Yes?’ she answered, releasing his hand and weaving her fingers into his hair. It was fine like silk, and not in the least bit oily as she was expecting.

‘Your parents,’ he said, his lips pressing into the column of her throat. ‘We should go.’

‘I know,’ she said, tugging his head back up and pressing her lips lightly to his before releasing him and taking a stabilising breath. ‘Can we… talk about this more when we go home?’

He nodded, clearing his throat and pulling back a little, trying to compose himself. His cheeks were a little flushed, and his lips glistened with their combined saliva. She had done this – she had made this composed, unyielding man look dishevelled, and she felt very emboldened. Her attraction was returned – it wasn’t just her. She had no idea if it was just physical attraction, or if he returned her feelings, but right now she needed to pull herself together because they still had the matter of her parents to see to.

She stood up, holding out a hand to Severus. He took it and stood with her, and they walked side-by-side, returning to the footpath to continue making their way to her parents’ Sydney address. As they walked, she wondered what was going through his head. He’d asked her a lot of questions about the future earlier and she wondered if her answers had any bearing on the kisses they had exchanged. He wanted her to stay in his home - he was concerned for her safety. Those were not the feelings of a person who was indifferent.

They turned a corner, and she was distracted from her musings when Severus came to a halt in front of a gate. The front yard had a pretty but simple garden, and the front door was a dark green with the number ‘42’ in gold adorning it. Severus pushed the gate open and it made a small squeak. He led her up the path, her hand still in his and pressed the front doorbell located on the brick wall beside the doorway. She was starting to feel anxious again, but Snape released her hand and put his hand on her back as a show of support.

She heard footsteps approaching the door, and she braced herself, all of her nervous energy bubbling to the surface. The door swung open, and in the doorway stood Jean Granger looking almost exactly as she had the day Hermione had sent them away. Her curly hair was shorter now, coming just to her jaw, and she was blonde, but it was the same woman who had given birth to her and raised her. There was a lump in her throat, and she swallowed to clear it.

‘Hello,’ Jean said, smiling warmly. ‘How can I help you?’

Severus stepped forward a little then, taking charge while Hermione was in the midst of what she assumed was a mild panic attack.

‘Hello Ma’am, I was wondering if your husband is home today at all?’ he asked politely.

‘He’s just in the other room,’ she answered shrewdly. ‘May I ask what this is about?’

‘We are currently doing running an opinion poll on local politics that affect this local area and just had a few quick questions to ask you both if you have a little time to spare?’

Hermione was stunned but his ability to lie on the spot so quickly and believably. He made them out to be non-threatening so they could get a foot in the door, and had been vague enough that Jean’s curiosity was piqued, but descriptive enough that she didn’t feel the need to ask more questions before letting them in. It was the perfect ruse, and Jean’s next action confirmed it. She opened the door a little wider and ushered them inside with a smile. Hermione felt out of sorts because it was the smile her mother gave to strangers and it was odd being on the receiving end of it.

‘Have a seat,’ Jean said, gesturing at the lounge in the very neat living room.

Severus sat on the lounge, and she perched beside him nervously, feeling on edge. It felt wrong to be here, intruding on their lives this way. But she had to know if their memories could be accessed and returned.

‘When both of your parents are seated, I am going to immobilise them,’ Snape whispered to her, his hand find its way to the small of her back again. ‘I don’t want to knock them out or I will have to revive them before I can delve into their minds.’

‘Okay,’ she said, her voice trembling. ‘Oh god. I didn’t expect this would be so hard.’

‘Try to calm yourself, Hermione,’ he said, his voice low and like velvet. ‘Take some deep breaths. The more on edge you appear, the harder it will be for them to trust me.’

She nodded, clasping her hands together in her lap. She drew in some deep breaths, and had more or less composed herself when her mother walked into the room with her father in tow. Wendell Wilkins looked just like Robert Granger had, but with the addition of a moustache – something her father would not have tried in his life at home. Both Jean and Robert took a seat in the two armchairs across from the lounge they sat on, looking at them expectantly.

The moment they were comfortable in their seats, Severus had them immobilised. He stood up and Hermione followed, making quick work. He walked over to her mother first, pressing two long fingers to her temple and staring directly into her open and unblinking eyes. He would need to make direct eye contact with them while he practiced Legilimency, and Hermione stood still, watching and waiting quietly. His brow furrowed with concentration, but after a few minutes it smoothed, and his eyes widened in surprise as he seemingly slipped from Jean’s mind.

‘Are you okay?’ Hermione asked, panic beginning to rise within her again.

He nodded, passing his hand over her mother’s eyes and with a murmured charm, Jean was asleep. ‘I found the memories locked behind whatever you did last year,’ he said, smirking then. ‘A clever bit of charm work, but I’m not certain how you thought to unlock them without someone practiced at Legilimency. There are only a handful of us that could achieve such a thing still alive, Hermione.’

She shrugged, smiling sheepishly, awash with relief. ‘I wasn’t thinking about that at the time,’ she said quietly. ‘I simply wanted to make sure they were safe, and I would just figure the rest out later. I’m lucky that I found you to be honest.’

‘Not so lucky as I,’ he murmured, and she blushed.

‘Why did you put her to sleep?’ Hermione asked.

‘She had two sets of memories now that are going to merge,’ he answered. ‘I would liken it to a system update for a computer.’

‘I had no idea you even know how a computer works…’

‘I am a Half-Blood, Hermione,’ he said gruffly, moving over to her father. ‘I grew up in a Muggle neighbourhood and have kept up with developing technology over the years. Now hush, so I can return your father’s memories.’

She stood beside him, watching as his fingers went to Robert’s temple and he made eye contact. The minutes trickled by painfully slowly as the tall, dark-haired man riffled through her father’s brain, searching for the pathway to what she had locked away. Not long after, Severus withdrew once more and cast a sleeping charm on her father as well, and he sighed heavily, moving back over to the lounge and dropping down onto it, spent. It may not have taken all that long, but she could tell it had been quite draining.

She walked over and joined him, fishing around in her bag and summoning a reinvigoration draught from within, uncorking it, and offering it to him. He didn’t even question her – he simply accepted the vial and tipped it into his mouth, swallowing the liquid down.

‘Thank you,’ he said gratefully, passing the empty vial back.

Hermione took it from him, casting a cleansing charm on it before tucking it and her wand into the handbag. ‘You look spent,’ she mumbled, moving closer to him.

‘I’ve been worse,’ he replied, leaning against the back of the couch. ‘The draught will kick in shortly and I’ll be back to normal again.’

‘Thank you,’ she whispered, leaning against him and pressing her lips against his in a chaste, but meaningful kiss.

He accepted the short kiss, putting his arm around her and gathering her to his side firmly before they relaxed and waited. The sleeping charm he had cast would wear off and, when it did, her parents would slowly begin to regain consciousness. The two of them sat in companionable silence – all of the questions and the discussion about the change in their relationship could wait.

After an hour of sitting there, Jean began to stir from her sleep and yawned, stretching her arms out in front of her and then brought them to her face to rub at her eyes. Hermione sat forward on the lounge then, anxiously twisting her fingers in her lap. Jean’s eyes opened finally, and immediately clapped onto Hermione, and there was a moment there that she was not sure if the memory restoration had been successful.

‘Hermione?’ Jean asked, her voice heavy with emotion.

‘Oh, thank god!’ Hermione exclaimed, launching herself tearfully off the lounge and throwing her arms around her mother tightly. ‘Thank god.’

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To be continued.

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A/N – Hello, and thank you to everyone who has read and left kudos and all of the lovely comments! I am so excited to share more with you, but my dear beta is a busy lady so we don’t have a regular release schedule so some weeks it might be a couple of chapters, and other weeks only one maybe. Big love to TheFauxMe for putting up with me!


	9. An Understanding

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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A log shifted in the fireplace, causing the flames to crackle, sending tiny bits of charred bark and soot into the air briefly before it settled in a fine layer on the tiles in front of it.

Hermione pulled her wand from her sleeve and cast a quick cleaning charm to get rid of it before tucking her wand back into the sleeve of her jumper. She flicked her eyes up to the clock on the wall to check the time, and saw that it was nearly eight at night. She had come down with a nasty head cold overnight, and so she had taken some Pepper-up Potion and then Harry and Severus had both insisted that she stay at Spinner’s End for the day to rest. She had been feeling too sick to argue with them, so she wrote a letter to Poppy, and sent it with Harry to apologise for not being there that day.

She had been expecting the two men to return from the school much earlier in the day, although she hadn’t waited around for them to eat dinner – she had just eaten some leftover soup that she’d heated on the stove. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, hugging her legs close to her body in the armchair she occupied, a throw blanket covering her. She had been getting the chills on and off all that day, alternating with fever.

Despite being an invalid, she still managed to have a fairly productive day. After returning from Sydney a week before, Hermione had been busy organising the sale of her parents’ London home. Though they were understanding and thrilled to have their memories back, and to have Hermione back in their lives, they were very content with living in Australia. They had built up quite a lucrative dental practice, had a wonderful network of friends, and were enjoying their new more relaxed lifestyle.

Hermione had stayed with them for a couple of days after Severus had restored their memories, and he had returned to the UK without her. It had been a week since their kisses, and they still hadn’t found time to speak to one another about it further which was frustrating her to no end. He had not touched her at all since her return – it was almost as though it had never happened. Perhaps that was what he wanted: to play it off as a mistake and just move on. The thought made a lump form in her throat that was hard to swallow.

Just as she was about to give up waiting and go to bed, she heard the crack of Apparation from downstairs, followed by two different sets of footsteps. The ones she knew were Harry’s walked down the hall to the smaller guest bathroom. Severus’ footsteps were slightly heavier as he wore dragon-hide leather boots, and those ones grew louder as they walked to where she was in the office. She looked up at the doorway and her eyes lit upon the object of her musings, wearing his usual black with his teaching robes.

‘How are you feeling?’ Severus asked, walking into the room, shedding his robes.

‘Better, thank you,’ she replied, shifting on the chair so that her legs and feet were no longer tucked up beside her. ‘Pepper-up doesn’t normally work that well on me.’

‘Extra strength,’ he murmured, beginning to unbutton his frock coat.

Since their trip to Sydney, the one thing that she had noticed was that in the privacy of his home, he was dressing a little less formally. He would often roam the house in trousers and his white long-sleeved button-down shirts. She very much like this change – she knew it meant that a certain level of trust had been earned.

‘Severus?’ she queried, gazing up at him.

‘Yes?’

‘Do you regret kissing me last week?’ she asked after taking a deep breath. If she said nothing, she had a feeling they would go on like two ships passing in the night.

He looked surprised that she had mentioned it. ‘I took advantage of you while you were emotional and vulnerable last week,’ he said coolly, his expression carefully schooled to neutral. ‘It was reprehensible behaviour on my part, so I have been attempting to give you some space.’

‘I’m not emotional now,’ she said softly.

She saw his Addams apple bob as he swallowed. ‘It would appear not,’ he replied.

She stood up from her chair, walking over to stand before him. She linked her hands behind her back in an inviting gesture, showing him that she was willing to be vulnerable in front of him. ‘You didn’t take advantage of me, Severus,’ she said quietly. ‘Actually, I was rather hoping for an encore, and perhaps that conversation that we said we’d have.’

‘You drive a hard bargain Hermione,’ he said, leaning in towards her, his lips whispering over hers; her eyes drifting shut. ‘But perhaps we had better talk first.’

She opened her eyes and nodded. ‘Perhaps you are right.’

They both sat in their respective armchairs, Hermione tucking her feet up beneath her again. Severus stared at the fireplace for a moment before turning to address her.

‘There are a number of reasons why pursuing this, for lack of a better word, relationship, would not be a sensible choice for you,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘You are young, you have your whole future ahead of you. I am not a very good suitor for you, Hermione. I am nineteen years your senior – old enough to be your father almost.’

‘My father is fifty,’ she said, with a smile. ‘My mother is eight years younger than he is. Age is just a number – I don’t think that is a very solid argument against pursuing this.’

‘I’m a former Death Eater and spy, and I have had to commit horrible atrocities,’ he said simply, skirting past the reminder that he was practically her mother’s age. ‘Just because I largely did these things for the side of good, it does not erase them.’

‘Those are just things you were forced to do,’ she argued. ‘They don’t define you as a person. You are not Severus Snape: Death Eater and Spy. You are just Severus.’

She could see his arguments were beginning to become more flimsy, but he was determined to talk through all of the reasons he and others would have against them.

‘I’m not a handsome man,’ he stated, turning his eyes back to the fireplace. ‘People will always wonder what it is you see in me.’

Hermione sighed, getting up from her chair and walking around the coffee table to stand before him. He looked up at her then, and she gently nudged him with her hand so that he came to sit with his back straight. She tucked the strands of his hair hanging in front of his face behind his ears, before tracing her fingers gently over his features, his brows, his cheeks and jaw, and down his long nose. She cupped his face with both hands and leaned forward, pressing gentle kisses everywhere her hands had touched, before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. As she pulled away, she heard a small gasp escape him and she smiled.

‘I don’t want to hear about how unattractive people think you are. Or how unattractive you think you are. I don’t care about what people think,’ she said quietly, looking directly into his dark eyes. ‘I find you very attractive.’

His hand shot out at her statement, grasping her wrist gently and drawing her down towards him, and soon she was on his lap and his lips were on hers; demanding and hot -with lips and teeth and tongue- and she felt like they might catch fire. She had never felt this kind of heat before in any of the kisses she had shared with others. Not that she had a great wealth of experience. She let her fingers drift up and into his silken hair, gently tracing her fingers over his scalp as he continued to give her scorching kisses.

After several minutes he pulled back from her lips, their foreheads resting together as they struggled to catch their breath. Hermione could feel her whole body trembling with the desire that he had awoken within her. She’d never felt this way with Ron or Victor. They hadn’t been men like Severus Snape though – and he was undeniably a man. She gently worked her fingers out of his hair, stopping to trace a thumb over his flushed lips. His mouth captured her thumb then, and his tongue traced over the pad of it which sent a jolt of arousal straight to the pit of her stomach.

‘This conversation has gotten really side-tracked,’ she whispered shakily as he grasped her hand, pressing kisses across her palm and stopping at the pulse point of her wrist.

He removed his mouth from her flesh then and stared directly at her. ‘You are beautiful, intelligent and kind, witch,’ he said, his voice all velvet. ‘Why would you want such damaged goods?’

‘You undervalue yourself,’ she said quietly. Her heart ached for this man who didn’t know just how desirable and singular he was.

‘Hermione, I am a very difficult man,’ he said, though his argument fell on deaf ears. ‘I am stubborn, pedantic, prone to grouchiness, demanding, surly, possessive…’

‘I’m rather possessive too,’ she said, cutting him off. ‘And I am stubborn, single-minded, and a bit of a know-it-all. We’re both human – we both have flaws.’

‘I can be cruel,’ he said quietly.

‘You never will be on purpose,’ she replied. ‘I know you won’t.’

‘How can you be so sure?’

‘I know. Severus, please stop fighting me on this,’ she said, feeling a little exasperated.

He smirked at her then. ‘I am frustrating you already,’ he pointed out.

‘Only because you are deliberately being dense,’ she said, leaning in and resting her head on his shoulder so she could cuddle close to him on his lap. It felt right.

She heard him sigh heavily before winding his arms around to simply hold her. ‘This is very unexpected,’ he said, his chin coming to rest lightly on the top of her head.

‘I know what you mean.’

‘I know I should probably be fighting you harder on this, but at the moment I am finding it difficult not to indulge you… and myself,’ he murmured, one of his hands stroking up and down her back gently. ‘There can be no denying that I want whatever this is.’

‘Then don’t deny it,’ she said, lifting her head up to look him in the eye. ‘Although I have to say, I’d much rather we called it a relationship.’

His brows rose towards his hairline at her mention of the word. ‘I have never been in a relationship before,’ he admitted, his voice low and quiet – vulnerable.

‘Neither have I, really,’ she said, nestling her head back onto his shoulder. ‘I wouldn’t consider a quasi-relationship and one kiss with Ron a relationship. I suppose I sort of had a relationship with Viktor Krum if you want to call him following me around a library, taking me to a dance, and writing letters to one another one summer until we lost interest a relationship.’

Severus chuckled. ‘Both of those things are closer to a relationship than anything I have experienced,’ he murmured, his hand coming up to gently stroke through her loose curls. ‘I’m not innocent. There were… partners of a completely casual nature.’

‘I’m not worried about any of that. I knew that you would have a past, Severus,’ she said, quietly. ‘Will it bother you to know that I do not – that I am technically innocent?’ She repeated the phrasing he had used a little awkwardly.

She felt as well as heard him sigh heavily. ‘I knew there was a possibility,’ he answered. ‘I am concerned that you are making a mistake aligning yourself with me for many reasons; and now I can add to the list of my concerns. I will not pressure you, Hermione.’

‘I know you won’t,’ she replied. ‘If this between us goes well, would you object to a more physical relationship?’

She both heard and felt Snape’s chuckle then. ‘You are going to be the death of me, witch.’

Hermione lifted her head from his chest and pressed a soft kiss to her lips then. ‘Good,’ she said firmly. ‘Because I won’t be satisfied with just kissing and snuggling forever.’

‘I would never have expected you to be this forthright, given your inexperience.’

Hermione smiled at that. ‘I might be a virgin, Severus, but I know my own mind,’ she said, poking a finger into his chest. ‘I can be quite determined, you know.’

‘While this conversation and having you in my lap has been quite titillating, I am afraid if we do not move shortly, we may cause Mr Potter to have a stroke,’ Severus said then. ‘Might I suggest a relocation on your part?’

Hermione nodded. She would have to tell Harry that she was starting a relationship with their former teacher at some point, but she wasn’t ready to just yet. She wanted to give it a chance to see if it had potential, and possibly just enjoy it a little before letting anyone else inside. She slid off Snape’s lap and walked back around to her normal armchair.

Her legs felt a little like jelly – partially from being sprawled on Severus’ lap, and partially because she was practically giddy. Her body tingled pleasantly, even after removing herself from him. She sat down and glanced over at the man, smiling at him before pulling the throw blanket back over her legs and picking up the book she had cast aside. So far, Severus had been passionate in his kisses, and surprisingly affectionate towards her with his actions – and she definitely looked forward to exploring a more physical relationship with him if his kisses were able to scorch her so.

Not long after she had wrenched herself from him and taken up residence in her own armchair again, she heard Harry’s footsteps in the hall. A moment later, he poked his head into the room and smiled at her.

‘How are you feeling, Hermione?’ he asked, walking over to stand beside her chair.

‘Better,’ she answered, flushing a little. It turned out that a sneaky snogging session with Snape was just what the doctor ordered.

‘Excellent,’ he replied with a smile. ‘Do you mind if I join you?’

‘Not at all,’ Severus answered, summoning the chair from behind his desk with a crook of his finger.

‘Thanks,’ Harry said, plopping down on the chair. ‘I have something I wanted to run past you both while I have you here.’

‘What is it, Harry?’ Hermione asked, curious.

‘Well, I’ve been having a lot of trouble deciding on what to do once we finish the project at Hogwarts. At some point I’m going to need to get a job, and I’ve been talking to Luna a lot lately… And after a lot of thought, I have decided I want to become her business partner and invest in building up the Quibbler as a competing paper to the Prophet.’

Hermione glanced over at Severus to see his expression hadn’t changed. She was a little surprised. Harry had always spoken about wanting to be an Auror one day. Although after what they had been through the past seven years, she didn’t blame him for not wanting to spend the rest of his life chasing dark wizards and criminals. But working for a newspaper was not how she imagined him spending his time – she was proud of him for thinking outside of the box.

‘That sounds incredible, Harry,’ she said, smiling proudly.

‘Do you really think so? Be honest,’ he asked.

‘It will be a lot of work, and a difficult road, Potter,’ Severus said, drawing their attention. ‘But anything worth having is worth the hard work.’

Hermione looked up at him and their eyes locked. His dark eyes bore into her own, almost as though he were willing her to hear the unspoken promise to her in his words to Harry. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and she saw the corner of his mouth quirk up for the barest second.

‘I will help you however you need,’ she said, turning her eyes back to Harry.

‘I was secretly hoping you would offer,’ he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘I have funds and the benefit of being the bloody boy saviour behind me, Luna has the paper and pre-existing framework of the paper, but we really need a business plan, and some sort of marketing know-how to figure out how to sell the paper as a competitor without turning it into the Prophet. I know Luna really wants to keep certain aspects of it quirky, you know, to honour her father’s legacy.’

‘Of course,’ Hermione replied. ‘I think a good way to incorporate those elements would be to have that in a particular portion of the paper, or as a recurring column, which might be nice to name after Xenophilius.’

‘I might be able to assist you with the business plan,’ Severus added, surprising them both.

‘I would be forever grateful, Severus,’ Harry said, looking chuffed. ‘This is honestly just what I needed – I can’t tell you how much I never want to be involved in any more conflicts again. I feel terrible because I know Kingsley’s been really hoping for me to become an Auror, but I just feel like that part of my life needs to stay in the past.’

‘I think that is a very wise choice,’ Severus said. ‘Breaking stereotypes is difficult, believe me. It will be good to try and establish yourself however you see fit now, while you are young. Besides, you could always fall back on Ministry work later on if you choose to – they’ll never turn you down. You as good as died and came back to life for them.’

Harry chuckled, and Hermione felt a swelling of affection and gratitude towards Severus. As she sat there looking between the two most important people in her life at that moment, she felt so content. The two of them were getting along so well, they might even one day consider one another friends, and she dearly hoped that would be the case.

She wasn’t sure what to call, or think of Severus as, now that they had agreed to attempt a relationship between them. He was not exactly a boyfriend – such a term felt too immature and woefully inadequate. To call him her lover was not accurate at that time, either. They had not been affectionate towards one another long enough to consider themselves partners and, as they had not officially been on a date, they weren’t really dating either. Trying to put labels on it was proving rather difficult. And then it occurred to her, that it just might not need to have one to be real, and she shook herself from her thoughts and refocussed on the conversation at hand.

‘I am going to make tea,’ she heard Severus say, and looked over at him. ‘Would you like any, Hermione?’

She nodded gratefully. She was still feeling a little under the weather. ‘With honey, please?’

He stood from his armchair and walked past them both to go to the kitchen. ‘Anything for you, Potter?’

‘One day, you’re going to have to start calling me Harry,’ he said teasingly. ‘And tea would be great. With milk please.’

A moment later he was out the door, and Hermione listened to his boots tap against the wood as he walked down the hall. She looked back at Harry, who suddenly had a nervous expression on his face. His hands were clasped together on his lap, and he looked a little guilty as well.

‘Okay, spill,’ she said, reaching over to place her hands on his to still the fidgeting. ‘Something is obviously bothering you.’

‘I have something else I wanted to tell you, but I wasn’t sure if it was too soon or not,’ he said, looking down at his hands.

‘Harry, you know you can always tell me anything,’ she said, squeezing his hands.

‘I’m sort of seeing someone,’ he mumbled quickly and quietly, like he was trying to get it out fast enough that she might not hear him properly.

‘You are?’ she asked, surprised yet again.

‘I know it’s only been a couple of months since I ended things with Ginny, but, well, I’ve been spending a lot of time with her, and it just feels very easy and natural…’

‘Harry,’ Hermione said seriously, causing him to look up at her. ‘It’s perfectly okay for you to date. I’m really glad you have found someone that you like.’

‘I’m relieved you’ve said that. I really don’t want to hurt Ginny any more than I have, so I’ve been trying not to be too public or showy about it. I think we are both just enjoying spending time together and getting to know one another better,’ he explained.

‘Who is it?’

‘Luna,’ he said shyly, a flush crossing his cheeks.

Hermione beamed. ‘You couldn’t have chosen a lovelier person to spend time with,’ she said, genuinely happy for her friend.

‘She is lovely,’ he agreed. ‘And she is smart and great with spells. She’s pretty and nice, and I want to spend time with her.’

‘Is that the reason you want to go into business with her?’ Hermione asked curiously.

‘No, actually. We started talking about the paper and its potential weeks ago. Talking about the paper got us spending more time together and it just opened my eyes to the possibilities.’

‘I would love to catch up with Luna myself actually,’ Hermione said, wondering how long it had been since she had seen any of her friends outside of Harry and Snape, and the people she saw at Hogwarts while she worked. ‘Maybe we could organise something soon?’

‘Luna would love that,’ he said, smiling. ‘I’m really glad that you are supportive of this. I really like her.’

‘I am always on your side,’ she said, reaching over to hold her friend’s hand.

‘How touching.’

Hermione looked up to see Severus standing in the doorway with the tea tray, his face bearing a smirk. She wondered how long he had been standing there. The man was as silent as the night when he wanted to be.

‘How much did you hear?’ Harry asked, releasing Hermione’s hand.

‘Miss Lovegood returns to school when the new term begins, does she not?’ he said, walking in and placing the try on the coffee table.

Harry nodded. ‘It’s definitely come up,’ he replied. ‘I’ll be taking most of the responsibility for the paper while she is at school during the term. She will write some of the articles, but I plan to recruit a couple of part-time staff to help with the paper.’

Severus nodded, resuming his seat and beginning to pour the tea. ‘A long distance relationship will also present some challenges.’

‘I’ll be sure to visit her in Hogsmeade through the term,’ Harry said, leaning forward to accept his teacup, pouring a generous dash of milk into it. ‘It’s still very new, and we have all the time in the world – one school year isn’t such a big deal to either of us.’

Hermione realised then that she and Severus were entering into what was going to be somewhat of a relationship of distance. She would be in Cokeworth and studying at St. Mungo’s, and he would be at Hogwarts most of the school term, with the exception of his weekends off. She reminded herself to have a chat with him about how they would arrange times to see one another.

‘You are welcome to stay here when I return to teaching during the term,’ Snape said to Harry. ‘Hermione has already indicated that she will be staying.’

Harry smiled. ‘Thank you for the offer, but I was actually planning to move back to Grimmauld Place soon. Ron let me know the new Burrow is almost finished, and the Weasleys will be moving back in shortly. I was going to remodel Black Manor so that the Quibbler can operate from the first floor of the house – there is plenty of room for offices and a printing press. I am going to live upstairs. The ground floor can be for entertaining and guests, and the kitchen is huge, so it’ll be ideal for any catering that needs to happen. Kreacher has become rather mellow now that he is a free elf and I’ve started paying him, and he seems chuffed to stay on at the house with me.’

‘That actually sounds like a really great plan, Harry!’ Hermione exclaimed.

‘I do have good ideas now and again,’ he said with a sly smirk.

She accepted the cup of tea Snape passed to her and took a grateful sip. ‘Thank you, Severus,’ she said with a smile.

He nodded at her, lifting his own to his mouth. ‘It appears that we are all about to become extremely busy people.’

‘I’m rather excited for the future now,’ Harry said in agreement.

‘So am I,’ Hermione said, glancing over at Snape.

There was a look of fondness that softened his expression as he gazed back at her, reassuring her. Hermione’s life had been forever changed that day she had gone back to the Shrieking Shack to save him - and she was so glad that she had. She lifted her teacup to her mouth again, taking another sip and sighing in contentment.

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To be continued.

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A/N – Thanks again to my home girl TheFauxMe for wrestling with those damn Oxford commas for me.


	10. Familiarity

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The sounds of simmering liquid and the chopping of ingredients echoed through the room, bouncing off the stone walls that made up the laboratory.

Hermione meticulously diced, her knife slicing through the Anjelica root with ease. She had bought herself some new knives for potion making a short while after she had started working at Hogwarts to help refill the medical potions supplies, and she had left them at the castle to use while working in Severus’s private lab. He had long since left her to her own devices in the lab, showing her that he trusted her to take care of his space. She was thrilled to know that her dark-haired paramour was willing to be more unguarded and trusting with her.

After she had finished the two potions she was simultaneously brewing that day, she would be finished with her task, and her time volunteering at the castle would be over. Poppy Pomfrey had been so kind and supportive, encouraging her towards her goal of becoming a healer. St. Mungo’s had asked that she begin her apprenticeship on the first day of September. She was both excited and anxious.

Hermione wondered if perhaps she would have been better served completing the seventh year at Hogwarts that she had missed out on, but having to be in classes with Severus and being his student again was not worth putting them both through the torture of being unable to explore their relationship for another year. It would have been entirely too awkward. No – choosing to move forward was the right decision. She didn’t feel like a student of Hogwarts anymore.

She was stirred from her contemplations by the sound of the timer she had set chiming off to the side. She tapped it with her wand to turn it off and walked over to the other bench to check in on her brew. It was her first time solo brewing the Wiggenweld Potion and, from the description in Severus’s text, it looked to be flawless. She felt her stomach do a flip in her excitement. It was so gratifying to achieve this level of brewing after spending twelve months essentially on the run with no brewing practice the entire time.

Severus, for his part, had been very patient and helpful with ensuring her technique was perfect during the first couple of days of brewing.

Smiling, Hermione snuffed the flame beneath the potion and left it on the bench to cool, returning to her slicing. Her last potion to work on was Star Grass Salve – it was a mild healing balm to treat minor injuries. She only had two more ingredients to add - the Anjelica root, and shea butter to act as the carrier for the active ingredients. She had already weighed out everything she needed exactly, remaining prepared ahead of time to ensure the timing would be correct.

Once she was finished with slicing the roots, she looked into her cauldron and lightly scattered the ingredient into the simmering brew. She watched as the fine slices were enveloped by the purple liquid, and began to stir methodically as it incorporated. Finally, she added the shea and continued her stirring, smiling as the brew slowly began to thicken. She snuffed this flame also, and removed the chopping board and all other dirty implements to the sink, cleaning all of them and casting drying charms.

Pleased with her progress, she walked to the door which led out to the hall. Her potions would need to cool before she could bottle them. She cast charms to prevent any contaminants from ending up in the cauldrons and left, warding the door behind her. Her stomach was letting her know that it was time for her to have some lunch, so she walked quickly to the Great Hall for nourishment.

When she arrived, she immediately clapped eyes on a sea of red hair dotted all through the hall. The entire Weasley family, or so it seemed, was there in the hall during lunch. She was frozen in place, her eyes darting around the room to see where Ron was. She was still upset from their previous confrontation and, quite frankly, after the way he had manhandled her, she wasn’t so sure he would not do so again. She caught sight of him across the hall, and ducked inside, making a beeline to a table as far away as she possibly could be from him.

‘Hermione!’

She heard her name and turned around, seeing Neville waving at her. She hadn’t seen him in weeks, and he was sitting at the end of the far table with Ginny. She sighed in relief and smiled at the pair, walking over to join them gratefully.

‘Long time no see,’ she said, plopping down beside Ginny, and throwing an arm around her in a hug.

The red head returned the one-armed hug. ‘I’ve missed you, Hermione,’ she said before releasing her to pick up the sandwich she had been eating. ‘What’s been happening? You have to catch us up on everything.’

‘The summer has been very busy,’ Hermione admitted, feeling a little guilty for not being a better friend to Ginny. With her issues with Ron, and the end of Harry and Ginny’s relationship, it had been awkward. ‘I found and restored my parent’s memories. They are going to stay in Australia and I’m going to visit them when I can. I have a Muggle phone where I live, so we call each other sometimes. And then I have been working here most days around that, brewing for the infirmary.’

‘I’m so glad your parents are okay,’ Neville chimed in.

‘Thanks, Nev,’ she responded with a small smile. ‘Now what have you both been up to?’

‘Well, Neville has been helping us rebuild the Burrow, which we completed two days ago. You’ll have to come see it,’ Ginny answered. ‘Mum would love to have you over.’

Hermione nodded hesitantly. ‘I would love to, but… Ron.’

‘I’ll make sure he is either on his best behaviour or tell him to not be there at all,’ Ginny reassured her.

‘Okay, that’s a deal,’ Hermione replied, relieved.

‘You’ll really love all of the work I did on the gardens and the vegetable patch,’ Neville said, beaming. ‘It was such hard but rewarding work.’

‘It’s spectacular,’ Ginny agreed, and Neville’s cheeks flushed.

Hermione caught a shared look between the two, and her mind began whirring, putting two and two together quickly. ‘Is there something going on between you two?’ she asked.

It was Ginny’s turn to blush then, and she nodded shyly. ‘We’ve been dating for a month now,’ she said quietly, casting a shy smile to the man across the table from them. ‘Neville’s going to be apprenticing with Madam Sprout this year, so we will both be here at Hogwarts.’

Hermione grinned at her friends. ‘That’s wonderful,’ she told them. ‘I’m happy for the two of you.’

‘Thanks, Hermione,’ Neville said, looking chuffed. ‘We haven’t been telling many people, but I knew Ginny really didn’t want to keep it from you.’

‘I’m so glad you told me,’ Hermione said, glad that Ginny had not let the disappointment of Harry stop her from trying to find happiness. Neville was an incredibly kind and reliable person, and she could see him making her very happy, and being able to give her the life she wanted.

‘Oh, I see Harry has just come in,’ Neville said nodding towards the door. ‘I’m going to go say hello.’

He was up and out of his seat a moment later, leaving the two girls alone. Hermione pulled a plate towards her and thought of what she wanted to eat, and a bowl of French onion soup appeared before her. She was so hungry, she didn’t even care that the soup was a little too hot for her and might have burnt her tongue a little on its way in.

‘So, are you still living at Professor Snape’s house?’ Ginny asked, surprising her.

Hermione swallowed her mouthful, coughing a little to clear her throat and taking a slug of water from the goblet before her. ‘Umm, yes,’ she answered a little hesitantly. ‘I moved for about a week, but Harry was worried about me, so I moved back in. And after I found my parents, I sold and settled up their business and properties here, so I just stayed.’

‘How did that come about?’ Ginny asked curiously, suspicion in her brown eyes.

‘Severus sort of suggested that I could stay there while he is here teaching because I have my apprenticeship starting at St. Mungo’s in September,’ she answered, truthfully.

‘ _Severus_ is it?’ the red head said with a smirk.

‘I live with him,’ she replied. ‘It would be awfully awkward for me to go around calling him Professor or Mr. Snape all of the time, wouldn’t it?’

‘But _why_ do you live with him? And don’t think you can get away with using Harry as an excuse. You were there long before he convinced you to move back in there.’

‘Severus asked if I would like to stay there during my apprenticeship. It saved me from having to find myself a flat in London which, quite frankly, given how busy I have been, would be such a giant chore,’ she answered, only half lying.

‘You have feelings for him!’ Ginny whispered, shock apparent on her face.

‘Ginny!’ Hermione chastened in hushed tones.

‘Wait,’ the read head said pausing. ‘He has feelings for you too, doesn’t he?’

Hermione felt herself beginning to flush red. She had literally no control over her automatic capillary response whatsoever. She nodded slightly, and Ginny slapped a hand over her mouth as she gasped.

‘Are you in a relationship?’

Hermione nodded again, looking down at her soup. ‘Ginny, please don’t say anything to anyone. Please.’

‘Oh, gods, no,’ Ginny said reassuringly. ‘That is your bomb to drop, not mine. Does anyone else know? Does Harry know?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘I was planning on telling him soon,’ she replied. ‘No matter how much more grown up he is now, Harry can still be a little dense about interpersonal relationships. You are far too perceptive, Ginevra Weasley.’

Ginny grinned. ‘Well then, what’s it like?’ she said, looking at her expectantly.

‘What is what like?’ Hermione replied, her eyebrows furrowing at the vague question.

‘What is it like dating the scariest and meanest Professor we ever had here?’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘He is nothing like you would expect. He is so thoughtful and kind to me,’ she answered. ‘He isn’t sweet. He is still very quick witted, sharp tongued, and he can be a little grouchy and unsociable, but he is really different,’ she said, smiling as she thought of him.

‘You are besotted, Hermione Granger.’

‘I’m inclined to agree with you there,’ she said with a grin. ‘Last weekend we went on our first official date, and went to Muggle London. We even caught the tube. It was so strange.’

‘I can’t even imagine it,’ Ginny said, surprised.

‘I think I might actually be falling in love with him a little, but it is far too soon for saying anything like that,’ Hermione admitted quietly. ‘Oh Gin, it’s been so hard to keep all of this to myself. I’m so glad we got to talk today.’

‘I’ve missed having a girlfriend to talk to about things,’ Ginny agreed.

‘Me too,’ she replied. ‘Let’s not leave it this long again. You can always write me when we can’t see one another in person.’

Ginny nodded. ‘I know you probably don’t want to talk about this, but is it terrible of me to ask how long you intend to give Ron the cold shoulder?’

Hermione felt herself tense up a little. ‘After the way he behaved, I think the cold shoulder might be a more permanent thing,’ she said coolly.

‘We heard what he said, and he is a prat for sure,’ the younger woman said. ‘But you’ve had fights with each other before and you’ve always found a way to repair the friendship.’

‘The other times we’d fought, Ron hadn’t manhandled me,’ Hermione said, her teeth gritted together.

‘He did WHAT?!’

Hermione held up a finger in front of her mouth to hush her friend. ‘Don’t make a fuss,’ she whispered. ‘I haven’t said anything to anyone for this exact reason. I know what he did was wrong, but I do not want everyone to start waving torches and pitchforks at him and vilifying him for it. I just don’t think I want to be around him right now.’

‘I wish you had said something to me. To anyone,’ Ginny said seriously. ‘It’s not okay for Ron to go around hurting people.’

‘I know,’ Hermione said with a sigh.

‘You should finish your food,’ Ginny said, pointing at the soup. ‘You’ll need your strength before you go back to work.’

Hermione nodded and focussed herself on the task of feeding herself, trying not to think about Ron and her conversation with Ginny. She knew her friend would not out her relationship with Severus. It was actually such a load off her chest to have at least one friend on her side who, by all appearances, didn’t seem to be repelled by the idea of her entering a relationship with her former professor. Once she was finished eating, she noted the time and realised it was time to head back down to the dungeons to finish up her task and go see Poppy.

She gave Ginny a tight hug, promising to visit the Burrow soon, before dashing out of the hall and back down to the lab so she could bottle her brews and clean the room thoroughly so that it was spotless. She gathered the jars and vials she required, and first bottled the Wiggenweld Potion, levitating the empty cauldron to the sink before labelling them carefully. Afterwards, she moved on to the balm and pulled out her scales so that each little jar would have the exact amount of the salve. It was time consuming, but such satisfying work to see all of them filled and neatly labelled, especially when knowing that it would help Poppy and Severus throughout the school year.

Hermione was levitating the cauldron over to the sink when she felt a shift in the air around her, and felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her slightly. She whipped around, her levitation spell disrupted, and the cauldron fell to the ground, clanging loudly and shooting a little of the salve that was stuck inside it across the floor. She came face-to-face with a row of endless black buttons, which she followed up to Severus’s face. He was smirking, clearly somewhat satisfied that he had managed to alarm her.

‘Tut, tut, Miss Granger,’ he said, lightly scolding her. ‘You should know better than to leave your workspace unwarded while you are busy with a task.’

She flushed, but stood up straighter, staring at him challengingly. ‘You shouldn’t go sneaking around, trying to startle people working with heavy objects, Professor.’

His short bark of laughter at her words sent a thrill through her. She turned back to the cauldron and resumed her spell, levitating it off the floor and into the sink. Just as she was about to cast a cleansing charm to dispel the salve on the floor, Hermione felt Severus move her heavy braid to one side, brushing it over her right shoulder, exposing the left side of her neck to the cold air in the lab. She felt a shiver run down her spine, which turned into white hot heat in the pit of her stomach when she felt his warm, firm lips make contact with the spot where her neck met her shoulder. She bit back a moan and instead sighed, relaxing backwards into him.

His right arm went around her, holding her close, while his left hand travelled up her arm, stopping at her shoulder. His long fingers stroked her there as his lips continued their journey up her neck, stopping as he reached the delicate sweet spot right behind her ear. She had no idea why he had come down to the lab, or what had inspired this little bout of exploration and affection, but she was not about to deny him.

He had been so polite with her lately, and their kisses had been more chaste. She knew from the night she had been on his lap that he had been physically affected by their passionate embrace, so she had a feeling he was being more careful for her sake, given her admission of innocence. She was nervous about things progressing too far just yet, but she was certainly open to some mutual exploration and touches – her body was set aflame every time she felt his hands on her even for a second.

‘What – _ahh_ brings you here, Severus?’ she asked, his name coming out with a sibilant hiss as he suckled gently on her ear lobe. She had no idea that area would be so sensitive for her.

His right hand drifted to her waist, and soon he had her turned around to face him, still holding her rather close. ‘I was finished with my tasks for the day, and wanted to check in to see how you were faring. I know today was your final day assisting Poppy.’

Before she could reply, he leaned down and captured her lips with his, immediately plundering her mouth with lips, teeth, and tongue. Hermione was not a passive bystander, and battled with him, exploring his own mouth perhaps a little more gently and timidly than he had hers. After a few minutes of sinful kisses, they broke apart and their foreheads rested together. Her hands had grasped onto the front of his robes tightly, and his were still firmly at her waist.

‘That was a very pleasant distraction,’ she said smiling at him.

‘Only pleasant?’ he teased.

‘If I say it was mind-blowing your ego might swell, and your head with it,’ she replied, reaching up to stroke the black strands of hair out of his eyes as was her habit, and tucking it behind one ear.

‘You looked very pretty while you were working,’ he admitted finally. ‘It took me by surprise, and I felt compelled to show you how I was feeling. It’s not a feeling I am used to.’

‘Well, rest assured it was a most welcome surprise,’ she said, leaning up to light peck his lips. ‘I need to finish up cleaning those cauldrons and tidy everything here before I take the potions up to Poppy. Are you going to hang around?’

‘I actually have something to show you after you finish. If you would like to take those up to Poppy, I can finish cleaning, if you wouldn’t mind returning after?’

Hermione smiled gratefully. ‘You are too good to me,’ she said, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. ‘I won’t be too long.’

He released his hold on her somewhat reluctantly, and she cast weightless charms on the two potions crates so that she could carry them both with ease. She slipped out of the room and made her way up out of the dungeons, heading to the infirmary. Once she arrived, she walked straight to the supply room and quickly organised the potions onto the shelves, locking it up on her way out. She was so satisfied with her efforts. The infirmary was completed and in very good shape to receive the students come September. Walking around to Poppy’s office, she stopped in the doorway and knocked on the door to alert the matron to her presence.

‘Hermione, what can I do for you?’ the woman asked with a fond smile.

‘I’m all finished up with the last of the potions,’ Hermione replied. ‘I wanted to say goodbye before I head off to help Severus finish cleaning the lab.’

Poppy stood up and walked around the desk and immediately gave Hermione a tight, motherly hug. ‘You must promise me something,’ she said, her tone serious.

‘Anything, Poppy.’

‘You take care of that man,’ Poppy said. ‘I’ve never seen him this way around anyone before, and I’ve known him since he was eleven years old. He is very fond of you.’

Hermione knew that Poppy could only be talking about Severus. She had no idea how the matron knew so much – it wasn’t as though they had been obvious about their affection towards one another. But she did have a keen sense about things.

‘I’m rather fond of him myself,’ Hermione said, reassuring the older woman.

‘I think you two are very well suited. A younger man would not be a good match for you – he wouldn’t be able to keep up,’ Poppy said with a smirk.

Hermione blushed and released the matron from her embrace. ‘I think we are as well, but Severus can be a little stubborn, so hopefully I’ll be able to keep convincing him that our relationship is a good idea.’

‘Just don’t give up on him – even if he is being a little stubborn,’ Poppy insisted. ‘He has a big heart – he just needs a little more practice with using it, and someone who is willing to meet him halfway.’

Hermione nodded. She was determined to see if their relationship had long-term potential. They were definitely compatible where intelligence and interests were concerned. She knew they both had very little experience with navigating certain aspects of a relationship, but they were slowly figuring that out together. And she appreciated him – he was putting a lot of effort in to be kind to her and treat her as an equal, which she had been a little concerned with.

After hugging Poppy once more, she left the Hospital Wing and made her way back down to the dungeons, now curious to know what it was that Severus wanted to show her. She rounded the corner and saw that he was just locking and warding his lab up as she approached.

‘So,’ she said, grinning with anticipation. ‘Where are we going?’

‘Follow me,’ he said, spinning on his heal and walking further down the hall, keeping a brisk pace.

Hermione hurried to keep up with him, very nearly running into him as he came to a sudden halt in front of a large oil painting of a wizard that she recognised at Professor Basil Fronsac, one of the former Headmasters.

‘ _Livre_ ,’ Severus spoke clearly so that Hermione could hear him.

The man in the painting nodded and it swung forward to reveal a hallway. He walked through, and so she followed, the painting closing in behind them and sconces along the hallway lighting up as they walked. Not long after they reached a door, and Severus opened it, stepping to the side and gesturing for her to enter ahead of him.

She walked through and found herself in a large sitting room, the walls lined with books and a fire lit and crackling away. There were dark tan leather armchairs and a lounge, with a plush rug and other neutral pops of colour. There were several doorways that led to other rooms, she presumed. She turned back to face her paramour, a question on her lips.

‘Are we in your chambers?’ she asked.

He smirked. ‘I did relocate my chambers back down here when I accepted Minerva’s offer to return to teaching, yes,’ he said, walking into the room and closing the door to the hall.

‘This is room is fantastic,’ she said, gesturing around in wonder. ‘Would you care to show me the rest?’

He nodded, and she noted that he looked a little nervous and uncertain. This was not a man she would have ever put with those emotions before getting to know him, but she knew his expressions and body language well enough by now that she could tell. He opened one of the doors and she looked in to see a small kitchen with a table. The next door led to another hall and from there they saw the bathroom and guest bedroom. They reached the end of that hall and she found what she could only assume was his bedroom which was furnished very similarly to his one at Spinner’s End.

She felt her pulse thrum through her. It was strange for them to be in his bedroom. She had not crossed into his room again since he had been well enough to care for his own needs – this was the first time she was in his private space again. They had agreed to take their physical relationship somewhat slowly, so she decided it was probably not the time to be standing around in Severus’s bedroom – there would be time for that later.

‘Come,’ he whispered, taking her hand and lacing his fingers with hers, leading her back out of the room and back to the sitting room.

They sat down together on the lounge in front of the fire. The dungeons were cold and, as they drew nearer to the end of summer, lighting a fire was becoming necessary. Hermione snuggled into his side, leaning her head against his shoulder. His thumb stroked over the top of her hand and she sighed softly.

‘Where does that last door lead?’ she asked.

‘It is my office,’ he answered. ‘I will meet with and deal with student issues there as part of my role as the Head of Slytherin. There is another door that connects it to the hallway that the students can access, and if there is someone there I will be alerted if I am in my chambers.’

‘Thank you for sharing this with me,’ Hermione said, lifting her head from his shoulder and pressing another gentle kiss to his cheek. She could feel a very small amount of five o’clock shadow roughness against her lips.

Severus turned a little, releasing her hand and lifting it up to cup her cheek, before leaning in and capturing her lips in a sweet, but passionate kiss. She accepted and returned it with all of the affection she was feeling towards him. It was not a kiss of passion like they often were, but one of comfort and the beginnings of true feelings growing between them. He ended the kiss soon after and stared into her eyes.

‘I have just set up the Floo so that you may come and go between here and Spinner’s End as you please,’ he said. ‘I would like for you to be able to reach me easily if you should need to.’

Hermione beamed at him, throwing her arms around his neck to hug him. She wasn’t really sure what love felt like, but she thought to herself that she was starting to feel the beginnings of it towards him.

\--

To be continued.

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Thanks as always to everyone keeping up with the story! I hope you enjoyed this little bit of fluff. Big love to my beta TheFauxMe for the endless patience! x


	11. To Be Consumed

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The wind howled loudly outside the windows, making the wood and glass rattle in the frames. Autumn was well and truly at the door.

It was the final day of August, and the next day Severus would be returning to Hogwarts as his primary residence, and Hermione would be starting her apprenticeship at St. Mungo’s. Harry had moved out of Spinner’s End just a few days before, and Hermione had spent the past couple of days helping out with setting up the Quibbler’s new office space in Grimmauld Place. It had been remodelled to make way for the printing press and a work room, and Hermione found herself impressed by just how much Harry had grown as a person in just over twelve months.

Severus had been busy at Hogwarts every day, going through his curriculum and class plans for the first half of the school year, so she had only seen him at dinner every night for almost a week. Hermione knew that she would have to find a way to quickly get used to seeing even less of him because he was hardly going to have any time at all at Spinner’s End during the school term. Even if he did have a weekend off from Hogsmeade or Head of House duties now and again, he would most likely have marking to do.

She imagined she would most likely be somewhat preoccupied with her own learning too, so the fact that they were both going to be busy would help distract them from not seeing one another – or so she hoped.

That day while he was away at the castle, Hermione had decided to plan a nice evening for them before the real world overtook their lives, and had prepared a nice dinner. She’d gotten a hold of his favourite bottle of wine, had lamb shanks slowly cooking in a sous vide, and had all of the sides ready to finish when it was closer to the time he would return from the school. She had found a nice black dress to wear that she had chosen very carefully, along with the undergarments she would wear beneath it.

She had determined that she was ready to move forward with a more physical relationship with him several days beforehand, but thought that she should try and make the occasion special. So, she had planned in secret, and mentally prepared herself for what she was hoping to do that evening with her hopefully soon-to-be lover.

She left the kitchen with all of her ingredients preserved with a stasis spell, and decided to head over to Grimmauld Place to check on Harry before she would return and complete her preparations. Severus had opened the Floo to Grimmauld Place that was keyed to her magic so that she would no longer need to Apparate to the park and walk to get there. She tossed a little powder into the fireplace in the sitting room, and when the green flames sprung forth, she stepped into them and spoke her destination, stepping out of the fireplace in the front sitting room at the other end.

‘Harry?’ she called out as she walked out into the hall.

‘I’m in the office,’ he called back to her.

Hermione made her way up the flight of stairs to the next floor landing, and walked through the nearest door to the right, finding Harry at his work desk, looking over a thick stack of papers. He was rubbing his scar, his brows furrowed in concentration. She smiled, walking into the room and plopping herself down in the chair opposite him. It was so strange seeing Harry this serious, but he was really taking it all in his stride.

‘How is it going today?’ she asked.

He put the paper down with a heavy sigh. ‘Being the Boy-Who-Defeated-The-Dark-Lord is such a pain sometimes,’ he said, sitting back in his chair and looking up at her. ‘I have a mountain of resumes to go through, and so far there are no contenders for the part-time positions we advertised.’

Hermione chuckled. ‘I’m sure that you’ll find someone,’ she said, trying to reassure him. ‘Where is Luna, by the way?’

‘She went to Diagon Alley just to finish picking up her school supplies. I think she was going to help get through this pile when she gets back, and then we will try and sort out layout for the return issue we are hoping to release at the start of October,’ he answered.

‘Let me help you go through them now,’ Hermione said firmly. ‘I am already prepared for my day tomorrow and I have a couple of hours to kill.’

‘How is Severus, by the way?’ Harry asked.

Hermione felt her stomach turn. She had managed to put off talking to him about Severus for the Summer, but she knew that keeping part of her life from her best friend was putting a strain on her and she hated being so dishonest. She took a deep, steadying breath, wondering what the best way to slide it into the conversation would be.

‘He’s well,’ she answered. ‘He will be at Hogwarts from tomorrow morning right through the school term. It’s going to be really strange being at home without him.’

‘The offer still stands if you wanted to move in here,’ he offered.

She snorted a laugh. ‘Not bloody likely,’ she replied. ‘Severus has linked up the Floo to his chambers at Hogwarts, so if I need him, I can always call on him.’

‘That’s very decent of him,’ Harry said, looking surprised.

‘Harry…’ she began, twisting her fingers in her lap nervously. She couldn’t really see a natural way to bring it up, so she was going to have to just rip off the band-aid. ‘I have something to tell you.’

‘What is it?’ he asked, his expression becoming concerned.

‘You must promise me you wont overreact…’

‘Did Severus do something to you?’ he demanded, his voice gaining volume.

‘Don’t be daft,’ Hermione said, shooting him a chastening look. ‘Severus would never harm me.’

‘Well, spit it out then.’

‘Severus and I are dating!’ she shouted.

His jaw dropped. ‘You? And Severus?’ he said, flabbergasted. ‘Hermione, are you sure?’

She laughed then. ‘Of course I’m bloody sure,’ she said with a smile. ‘At least I hope that it’s Severus I’m in a relationship with. Otherwise he is a very convincing facsimile.’

‘Since when?’ he asked, seriously.

‘Since we gave my parents back their memories…’

‘That was seven weeks ago! How could you not tell me?’

‘To be honest, I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it,’ she answered. ‘I was so happy that you two were able to bury the hatchet, so to speak, and you are friendly. You were both going beyond just tolerating each other and building your own sort of quasi-friendship. I didn’t want to get in the way of that.’

Harry had the grace to appear a little sheepish then. ‘You have a point. And my reaction now has probably justified your decision to keep me out of the loop for so long,’ he admitted. ‘Does anyone else know about it?’

‘I confided in Ginny recently,’ she said quietly. ‘Poppy Pomfrey guessed it for herself.’

Harry smiled, shaking his head. ‘Every time I think I am getting better at picking up on social cues, I am reminded that I’m not nearly as perceptive as I think I am,’ he said, picking up a sheet off the pile. ‘I feel like I should be more disturbed by the fact that you are dating our old professor. I mean, he went to school with -and was in love with- my mum. I’m not going to try and convince you not to date him, but I just wanted to be sure you remember all of the facts.’

Hermione nodded. She understood perfectly where Harry was coming from. For more than twenty years of his life, Severus Snape had been in love with Lily Potter – even after she had been murdered, he had clung to the memory of her. And sometimes the knowledge of that would creep in and make her feel some doubts. She didn’t resent Lily or the memory of her though – she had been are part of Severus’s life, and that was just the way it was. But she wanted to believe that this had no bearing on any feelings he might have for her.

‘I understand why you are concerned for me, Harry. But Severus having loved your mother isn’t a problem for me,’ she said, reaching over to grasp his free hand. ‘It’s actually nice to know that he is capable of love – if he could love someone so much that he would sacrifice everything to save her son, well…isn’t that a sign he could love me that way one day?’

Harry nodded. ‘I never thought of it that way, but you do have a point.’

‘I am very fond of him, Harry,’ she said, her voice low and serious. ‘I think we have a lot of long-term potential. I’ve never really had such strong feelings for anyone in this way before – not even Ron. I know it’s probably difficult to wrap your head around, but I find Severus incredibly attractive.’

Harry flinched a little at that and she chuckled. ‘You are right about that one, but I am still baffled that Luna finds me attractive,’ he said, blushing at the mention of his girlfriend.

‘How is it going between you two?’ Hermione asked, somewhat relieved that the conversation focus had switched over to his relationship.

Harry’s face went red. ‘It’s good,’ he said, looking down at the desk in front of him. ‘Luna is wonderful. I fully intended to have a break from the drama of relationships after Ginny, but honestly, we just clicked, and with Luna there is no drama. Things are easy. We talk about everything openly and honestly. I think it just fits.’

Hermione was thrilled for him. ‘Luna is a very special person, in the best way,’ she said. ‘I’ve never seen you like this with someone – neither Cho nor Ginny were a good fit for you. Neither one of them brought out the best in you the way she clearly does.’

‘I think I might be falling in love with her,’ he admitted shyly.

Hermione squeezed his hand. ‘That is wonderful,’ she told him, and she meant it.

Harry’s life had been hard – from his horrid upbringing by his Muggle relatives, to the insanity that had been their years at Hogwarts, he’d had very little pure happiness in his life. And here he sat before her, beaming from the inside.

The two of them smiled at one another and Hermione pulled the pile of resumes towards her and split them down the middle, pushing one pile towards him and taking the other for herself to tackle. They read in companionable silence, until Hermione was cross-eyed and baffled, but had gotten through her stack of the resumes. There had been many terrible CVs that were not relevant to the field and clearly just sent to Harry because he was famous, but she had found a small number of potential interviewees. She looked at her watch and saw that it was only a couple of hours until Severus would be due home.

She put the select few resumes in the desk in front of Harry, placing the rest in the wastepaper basket beside the desk for disposal. ‘These ones have potential,’ she told him, gesturing to the select few on the desk. ‘You should try to set up interviews with them as soon as possible.’

He looked at her gratefully. ‘You are a gem.’

‘I’ve got to get home to clean up and finish making dinner,’ she informed him.

‘Got a hot date planned?’ he teased.

‘Something like that,’ she answered, throwing him a cheeky smile.

‘Hermione?’

‘Yes?’

‘I’m happy for you, really,’ Harry told her.

‘I know you are,’ she said, walking around the desk and giving him a quick hug. ‘I’ll see you soon, okay?’

‘Good luck for your first day tomorrow!’ he sung out after her as she walked out of the room.

Hermione made her way back to the sitting room and used the fireplace to Floo back to Spinner’s End. Once there, she went upstairs and showered, getting rid of any unwanted body hair, dressing in the black lace undergarments she had bought, along with the fitted black dress, and she carefully treated her hair so that the curls would dry nice and defined, rather than turning into a frizzy mess. She didn’t apply a lot of makeup because she honestly didn’t enjoy wearing it, so she opted for a waterproof mascara and clear gloss.

Looking into the mirror in her room, she was fairly satisfied that she looked pretty, but not like she was trying too hard. Hopefully, the small amount of effort she had put in would not go unnoticed. She put on a pair of wedge sandals and made her way down to the kitchen. She used a spell to set the table simply for their meal, adding a small candle she had made herself that smelled like a pine forest. Once she was satisfied with that, she turned to the task of preparing the remainder of their meal.

A little under an hour later, she heard the Floo activate from the sitting room fireplace. The sound of Severus’s boots alerted her to the fact that he was heading to the kitchen.

Although she had been relatively calm all day, her nerves decided to catch up with her and she could feel a ball of anxiety forming in her stomach as Severus approached. He slid through the panel and into the kitchen, and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. She looked up at his face and saw that his dark eyes were practically molten, and she noticed an almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth.

‘Is it too much?’ she asked shyly, clasping her hands together in front of her.

He strode across the room to her in three steps and engulfed her within his arms, and his lips were immediately on hers in a bruising kiss. She felt her body relax against his in relief and kissed him back hungrily, her hands coming to rest on his strong shoulders. The kiss ended almost too soon for her liking because the feeling in her stomach had gone from nerves to arousal, all from the touch of his lips and tongue to her own. He pressed his forehead to hers, breathing harshly.

‘This is… astounding,’ he said, gently releasing her and looking to the table she had set. ‘I do not deserve this.’

‘Nonsense,’ she refuted, ushering him to the table and gesturing for him to sit.

‘No one has ever done something like this for me before,’ he said, his voice low.

She smiled, walking over to the table with two plates of the meal she had prepared – slow cooked lamb shanks with truffle mash and greens. She summoned the wine she had left to breathe on the bench and placed the plates on the table. He eyed the meal appreciatively, but his mouth went slack when he saw the bottle of wine.

‘How did you know I enjoyed this?’ he asked, picking it up and pouring their glasses.

‘Poppy told me,’ she said with a grin.

‘Poppy knows?!’ he exclaimed, almost dropping his wine glass.

‘I also told Harry today,’ she added lightly, sitting across from him and picking up her wine glass.

An unfamiliar expression crossed his face, and she filed it away to try and figure out what it meant for later. He lifted his glass out towards her, and she met him in the middle, clinking it against his gently.

‘Thank you for this spectacular meal you have prepared for us,’ he said, looking into her eyes. ‘You have no idea how much I appreciate the effort you have gone to – in everything. You’re starting to make me look bad.’

She laughed softly. ‘It’s not a competition, Severus,’ she told him. ‘We can take turns at being considerate towards one another.’

They dug into their food then, both hungry. They exchanged pleasantries over what they had both gotten up to during their day, and Hermione listened as he talked through his plan to propose changes to the school structure to show Minerva at some stage down the track. He wanted reform and progression at the school that Hermione was certain would rock the boat, and would cause many closed-minded old magical folk discomfort. Sometimes the magical community could be really set in its ways.

When they had finished eating, Severus refused to let her clear the table, and took care of their dishes before refilling their wine glasses. He suggested they adjourn to the office upstairs, and Hermione transformed the two armchairs into one lounge for them to sit on. They sat beside one another, barely touching, both nursing their wines glasses and staring into the lit fire.

‘You look beautiful in that dress, Hermione,’ he told her, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

She felt herself flush with both embarrassment and pleasure. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, looking down at the floor shyly.

The knot in the pit of her stomach had returned. She did not know what to do from there, but somehow doubted that he would initiate, even if he did look as though he might like the tear the dress right from her body. She put down her glass, swallowing and wondering why her throat was so dry. She also removed the glass from his hand and placed it beside her own, kicking her shoes off. He looked at her with a question in his eyes. She sucked in a deep breath and, letting her adrenaline carry her, she moved so that she was on his lap, her legs either side of his so she was straddling him.

His jaw went slack with shock at her boldness, and she found that she rather liked drawing these kinds of expressions from him. Her dress bunched up her legs leaving very little to the imagination, and she was sure if he pulled back a little, he’d get an eyeful of the knickers she had bought.

‘Hermione, what are you -?’ he began, but she pressed her fingers to his lips to stop him.

‘Just, let me,’ she whispered, moving her fingers to the long row of the black buttons that fastened his frock coat shut. ‘Do you mind?’

His breathing became a little rough, but he nodded, relaxing and allowing his hands to remain at her hips. ‘You are going to be the death of me,’ he murmured.

She gave him a wicked smile, and set to the task of unbuttoning him. It took a while, but she undid all of the buttons while staring right into his eyes. Once she had released the final one, she stood up for a moment, pulling him to stand so she could push the coat and his robes off him. She also untucked his white shirt from his trousers, gently nudging him to sit back down. He reached up and grasped her hips, guiding her back onto his lap on the lounge. She unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and revealed the pink and angry raised scar on his neck. She leaned forwards and pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses to his scars, drawing a gasp from him.

She trailed the kisses up his neck before meeting his mouth in one of the most intense kisses they had ever shared. It was all heat, and she was being burned up and consumed by him. His hands moved up to her waist, one of his thumbs daringly caressing the underside of her clothed breast. She gasped, breaking away from the kiss to stare at him.

‘I had a certain way I wanted this to go,’ she pouted, breathing a little heavily.

His eyes were dark with raw need, but he nodded and let his hands drift back down to her hips. She smiled, feeling a little shy again. She resumed undoing the pearly white buttons of his shirt, pushing the fabric aside to stare at his bare chest. She could see the lean muscles of his chest rise and fall with his breath. He had a light dusting of dark hair in the centre, with a little skirting around his nipples. She let her fingers drift lightly over what her eyes were taking in, and she felt his breath quicken as they brush over the pink, flat disks.

He was pale, but she rather liked that about him. Tanned men had never really been her thing. He was still a little thin, but was covered by lean, wiry muscles. The trail of hair began again at his navel before disappearing into his trousers. She looked at him questioningly, her fingers gently tracing the buttons of his fly, and he gave her a short, sharp nod of permission. She deliberately brushed her fingers against the placket of his trousers as she undid his pants, and she could feel the rigid flesh beneath the fabric twitch at her touch.

Soon she had his pants undone, and all that remained between her and the object of her desire was the thin black cotton of his underpants.

‘I hope it’s okay that I’m doing this,’ she said softly, grasping his turgid cock through the thin fabric and gently stroking it. She had no idea if she was doing it right, but his hiss of pleasure told her she wasn’t doing it wrong.

Severus’s hands soon grasped her wrists, and he pulled her hands away. ‘If you keep touching me like that, this is going to be over rather a lot sooner than I am sure you had planned,’ he informed her, his voice husky with desire.

‘The plan has sort of flown out the window,’ she said, her own breath catching in her throat.

‘I think I need to redress the balance a little, don’t you?’

And with that, he released her hands and grasped the bottom of her dress, looking at her for permission. She felt dizzy with desire, but nodded, grasping onto his shoulders as he slowly eased the dress up her body, pushing it up past her small breasts, and over her head. The dress was discarded over the back of the lounge, and he sat and just drank in what he saw. His hand joined that exploration, and when he cupped her lace-covered breasts, she thought she might actually faint from the intense rush of desire she felt.

‘You are divine,’ he murmured, his eyes and hands worshiping her.

She felt his fingers skim over the edge of the right bra cup, his fingers dipping beneath the edge so he could lightly fondle her nipple. She felt a sharp stab of desire flood her and she moaned softly. He took that sound as a good sign and his hands went to the clasps of her bra behind her back, making quick work of them and soon that scrap of lace joined her dress behind the lounge. His hands immediately returned to their light ministrations, his thumbs brushing over her tight, dusky pink nipples.

‘You have no idea what you do to me, woman,’ he murmured, whispering his fingers over her breasts before walking them back to her waist. ‘How perfect you are…’

She gasped softly as he pulled her up against his body further and latched his lips to one of her breasts, where he gently laved and suckled at her nipple. It felt incredible, and as he pleasured that one breast, he continued to play with the other one, gently caressing and stroking with his hand. He released that one with a soft ‘pop’ and hungrily ravished the other one.

While she was focussed on the attentions he was paying to her breasts, she hadn’t noticed one of his hand had crept down her body until his long fingers dipped under the edge of the flimsy lace panties she wore. She felt her body tense a little at the amount of stimulus. He continued to alternate breasts, and his fingers dipped between the slick folds of her flesh. She squirmed involuntarily against him. She felt as though she was on fire.

‘Please, Severus,’ she begged, unable to stand all of the teasing and the waiting,

‘Please what, Hermione?’ he replied, after releasing her nipple with a soft _‘pop’._

‘Please take me to your bed and make love to me,’ she said looking into his eyes.

‘Hermione, do you know what you are asking of me?’ he rasped. ‘We won’t be able to undo this.’

She leaned up and kissed him hard in response, pouring every bit of her desire into it. When she pulled back, she stood up from his laps before hauling him up with her, dislodging his hands from her. His trousers fell to the floor and pooled at his feet, so he kicked them off and removed them along with his shoes and socks, also shrugging off his white shirt.

He took her hand then, and led her out of the office and into his room for the first time in months. They both stood a little awkwardly before his bed, both in just their underwear. She placed her hands on his chest, then, and he wrapped her in his arms, bestowing another sublime kiss on her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body as close to him as she could get. He chuckled a little into their kiss before breaking away just long enough to lift her up and deposit her on the bed.

No sooner was she on the bed before he was back on top of her, his thumbs hooking around the elastic band of her underwear. She nodded at him and he whisked them off her and tossed them aside before taking a step back to admire her fully unclothed form. She felt herself blush involuntarily, but she didn’t cover herself. Her lover stared at her, his eyes roaming everywhere, and she had never felt so desirable as she did in that moment.

He removed and kicked off his own underpants then, and she stared at him in return, openly admiring his form, lingering only briefly on the firm cock that stood out proudly from his body. She didn’t have long however, because he was upon her and he pushed his knee between her legs, parting them gently. He reached down to her folds and let his fingers dance over her again, finding the bundle of nerves with his thumb and beginning to stroke. He inserted two long fingers into her, and it felt a little tight, but good. He soon replaced those fingers with the head of his shaft, and she sucked in a deep breath and nodded at him. He nudged forward so slowly and gently, it was exquisite torture. She breathed through the very momentary pain as he seated himself within her and held still.

‘That’s all the pain,’ he whispered, kissing her ear softly, and trailing those lips to her mouth for another slow, sensuous kiss. ‘I promise I will make it up to you.’

She nodded, and soon he began to slowly move, rocking against her gently. His nimble fingers continued to stroke her pleasure centre as he did, which made all the difference. It started to feel incredible, being connected with him that way, and she started to rock her own hips in time with his so he would go deeper. She could feel that familiar feeling of pending orgasm building within her as they moved, and his free hand came up to gently fondle her breast, and soon she arched her back in pleasure, his name escaping her lips as she came apart.

‘Hermione,’ he grunted soon afterwards as he found his own release, leaning down to press kisses all over her cheeks and eyelids.

She smiled in contentment as he slid from her and cast a few quick cleansing charms as well as summoning their clothes into the room. He slid them both beneath the bedding, and she cuddled up to him in the middle.

‘Thank you,’ he said, holding her to him.

‘Thank you for being so wonderful,’ she replied, pressing a kiss to his chest.

‘Any time.’

And soon they both fell asleep, sated.

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To be continued.

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A/N – Thanks to everyone following the story again for sticking with it! And big love as always to TheFauxMe for being my beta and my rock! x


	12. Consolidating

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The drip of the tap in the corner of the room came at seven second intervals; the fat droplets splashing into the basin loudly in the otherwise silent room.

Hermione tried to just zone it out and pretend the tap was not making noise. She was in the middle of her final assessment for her first month of training, and had to finish writing a short essay for the last portion of the test. She appreciated that becoming a Healer was a lot more involved than what she had been led to believe and was structured with exams, practicals, being paired with a qualified healer to shadow, and brewing, among other things. She was quite adept at all of these things, but having it channelled into something important she was working towards was gratifying.

She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, taking a deep breath and a moment to refocus herself to the task at hand. An hour later she sat back from her paper and sighed, rolling her shoulders that were sore from being hunched over at the desk she sat at. She placed her quill down on the desk and quickly flipped through the exam, re-reading all of her answers before she was satisfied that it was good enough to submit.

She stood up, and went to the door of the room she was in, and when she turned the doorknob, she felt the spells that sealed her into the room for the exam melt away.

‘Ah, Miss Granger,’ a voice exclaimed as she walked out of the room. ‘Done already?! I suppose what they say about the Golden Girl is true.’

She turned to face the direction of the voice and saw Healer Barnaby was standing at the nurse station, reading over a chart. Barnaby was the Healer she had been assigned to for that month, and would be the one marking her exam and giving her a performance review. She was not very fond of him – he was a little arrogant, misogynistic, and had decided to give her the incredibly degrading nickname of ‘Golden Girl’ because of her association with Harry. But she held her tongue, did as she was bid, and was determined not to let him get under her skin because she had quite a lot to prove if she was going to be respected as an adult and Healer one day.

‘And what do they say, sir?’ she asked, carefully schooling her tone to that of polite indifference.

‘That you are very… determined,’ he said, ending his sentence diplomatically.

Hermione knew what people said about her – she was a driven, bushy-haired little swot who lived with her head inside a book. And perhaps she had been at one time in her life. But now she just wanted to heal people. She knew that she could do anything she set her mind to, but this is what spoke to her soul and she intended to see it through no matter how many Healer Barnabys tried to get in her way. Although she would be lying if she wasn’t a little relieved that her month under this particular man’s thumb was up.

‘Thank you for your tutelage this month, Healer Barnaby,’ she said politely, forcing a reserved smile onto her face.

‘Come now, Granger, it hasn’t been all bad, has it?’ he said with a chuckle. ‘Let me take you out for a drink to celebrate the end of your first assessment.’

Hermione felt an unpleasant shiver creep down her spine at his request. She had heard from some of the other female apprentices that he had been a bit of a flirt and had hit on them. Until that point she had largely been able to dodge that bullet, but it seemed even she was not immune to him.

‘I’m flattered, but I’m afraid I have plans with my boyfriend this weekend,’ she said with a cool smile. She felt a little strange referring to Severus as her boyfriend, but it was just easier in this instance.

Barnaby looked surprised by her reply. ‘You have a boyfriend?’

She felt a twinge of annoyance at his disbelief. ‘I do,’ she answered, not offering up any more information. It really wasn’t any of his business.

‘Well, enjoy your weekend, I suppose,’ he said.

‘Same to you,’ Hermione said, turning on her heel and heading to the staff locker-room.

She collected her beaded bag from her locker, hanging up her apprentice robes inside. She made her way out of the hospital and walked the short distance to the nearest Apparation point, and in seconds she was standing in the sitting room of Spinner’s End. She immediately smelled something delicious in the air, and smiled, heading straight for the kitchen. She entered and saw her lover standing with his back to her, working away at the stove. She was thrilled. She hadn’t seen him in person for a month, and she had missed him terribly.

Walking over to him, she slid her arms around his middle, resting her cheek against his back and sighing in contentment.

‘Welcome home,’ she murmured.

She heard and felt him chuckle. ‘It’s good to be home,’ he replied, turning in her embrace so that he could return it.

She tilted her chin up invitingly, and he dipped his head down to kiss her. He gently drank from her lips and she happily accepted and returned it, her arms winding up and around his neck to try and get even closer to him. His hands stroked up and down her sides, causing her to shiver. It had been a long month without being able to touch or be touched by him, and she could feel the embers of arousal being lightly stoked in her belly.

She pulled away, breaking the kiss and taking a deep breath. ‘I’ve missed you,’ she admitted breathlessly.

‘And I you,’ he replied, leaning in to give her another swift kiss. ‘This has been the longest month of my life.’

‘For me too,’ she replied. ‘I had my first assessment today and I was so nervous. The Healer I was assigned to is an ass, but at least my month with him is up and I will have a new assignment come Monday. How is it at school? Did you have a good week?’

Severus drew her close and rested his chin atop her head. ‘The students are as insufferable as I remember,’ he replied. ‘But in spite of that, I have enjoyed some aspects of returning to Hogwarts. Minerva and Poppy have both been mothering me and asking about you. You’re very popular amongst the staff. Honestly, they’d have you back there in a heartbeat.’

She smiled, snuggling into his arms, pressing a kiss to the scars his unbuttoned collar exposed. She loved his crisp white shirts. He always smelled so good – clean and spicy. She felt his hands gently untuck her blouse from her skirt and then his warm hands were sweeping under it and his strong fingers gently kneaded her waist. She inhaled sharply as his hand reached her bra, and he deftly unhooked it.

She looked up at him then and could see that the desire building within her was reflected in his pitch black eyes. Hermione shifted backwards, taking one of his hands in her own and leading him towards the panel to the staircase. He waved a hand in the direction of the stove and let her walk ahead of him up the staircase and into his room. She had been continuing to sleep in her room down the hall despite their night and morning together before he returned to Hogwarts, so the main bedroom was pristine.

Once inside the room she began to unbutton her blouse, shrugging out of it and her bra at the same time before her hands went to the zip at the back of her skirt. She looked up at her lover as the zipper rasped down. He stared at her with what could only be described as hunger, and it sent a warmth through her that pooled between her legs. Her skirt dropped to the floor then and she stepped out of it, leaving her in just her work boots, stockings, and knickers.

He broke from his trance then and was soon on his knees before her, stalling her hands as she went to remove her stockings. She gasped softly as he kissed her knees through the sheer fabric, trailing his lips up her thighs before gently pressing a kiss to the crux of her thighs, still clothed, but she knew he would probably be able to feel the heat of her arousal radiating from her. She couldn’t stop the small mewl of pleasure that his actions were drawing from her.

He gazed up at her and smirked, his long fingers coming up to peel her stockings and underwear down her legs in one go. He nudged her legs and grabbed her booted foot, helping to remove them so that she could step out of her underthings. No sooner had he cast them aside, he was on her again, sliding up her body and lifting her up into his arms. He strode over to the bed and placed her in the centre before making quick work of his own clothes and joining her.

An hour later they lay there, tucked up against one another and resting peacefully, their passion sated for the time being. Her head rested on his chest and her fingers drew slow circles on his right bicep. She had missed this part of their relationship as well. It was all still rather new to her, but she felt as though with each time she was learning some of the ropes from him. He was a very patient and generous lover, and she felt both incredibly comfortable, and completely swept away by him.

‘We should probably get back down to the kitchen and eat,’ he murmured, his fingers gently easing into her hair.

She nodded against him. ‘I’m feeling a little peckish now,’ she admitted.

They slowly eased out of the bed, casting a few cleansing charms and putting on their clothes. Hermione put her blouse back on but decided she didn’t really need her bra at home, and she slid on her knickers and skirt but sent the remainder of her clothes to the laundry. Her boots found their way to the shoe rack downstairs, and she summoned her house slippers because the floors were getting cold now that it was well and truly autumn.

She followed Severus back down to the kitchen, where he lit the hob again and continued where he left off cooking earlier.

‘What were you making?’ she asked, sliding in beside him.

‘Making a porcini broth to use as a stock for risotto,’ he answered, summoning a spoon and dipping it into the liquid and holding it out for her to taste.

She opened her mouth, closing it over the spoon he proffered, and her eyes widened in appreciation. ‘I like it,’ she said with a smile. ‘I can’t wait to eat. Is there anything I can do?’

‘You could finely chop the onions and garlic,’ he said with a smirk.

She scrunched her nose but nodded. She loved the aromatics, and knew how much Severus disliked chopping them due to his unusually sensitive nose. He would often end up with tears streaming down his face uncontrollably until well after he had finished cooking when he had to chop onions for any prolonged periods. So she pulled out a chopping board and knife, and got to work. She loved this – working beside him in some capacity. It was something that she dearly missed from their summer together.

Soon enough he had finished with the broth and was soon by her side with another chopping board and knife, finely slicing up a variety of mushrooms. He was so quick – the man was a natural chef. She felt his arm brush against hers as they worked, but she didn’t pull away and no words needed to be spoken. They both needed this time together.

In short order their preparations were done, and she sat behind the other side of the bench on the kitchen bar stool and watched as he finished cooking their meal. Rather than sitting at the table, they decided to stay at the kitchen bar on the stools and he poured a glass of white wine for each of them to accompany the food.

‘Are you enjoying your apprenticeship?’

Hermione nodded. ‘I am,’ she answered. ‘Although that Healer I was telling you about earlier was a sleazy flirt and all of the other apprentices warned me about him. Don’t worry, he didn’t make any moves on me… until today.’

‘He did, did he?’ Severus’ voice had a slightly dangerous edge to it then.

She felt gratified that he was concerned and perhaps a little jealous. ‘He just asked me out for a drink after work,’ Hermione explained. ‘I obviously said no and made it clear I was not available. He actually seemed a little surprised, but I suppose we haven’t exactly been public about this and only a handful of our friends know.’

‘Do you want us to be more publicly out?’

She shrugged. To be honest, she didn’t hate the idea of being able to spend time out with him in the wizarding community. So far, all of their dates and planned future outings had taken place in the Muggle world and while she had loved the privacy earlier, it would make navigating awkward social situations a lot easier if people knew she was with Severus. She saw him put his spoon down and turn towards her, putting a gentle hand under her chin and lifting it to meet her eyes.

‘Do you want people to know we are together?’ he asked again, more serious this time.

She felt herself blush. ‘Yes.’

He crushed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss and she was immediately awash with renewed hunger for him. She parted her lips and welcomed his questing tongue, tangling with him and pushing back to explore his mouth, the heat between them scorching through her. When they broke apart they rested their foreheads together to catch their breath.

‘I have never wanted anyone to be associated with me in such a way before,’ he admitted, his voice husky with emotion.

‘I want to, Severus. I am not ashamed of being with you,’ she told him. ‘I never want to make you feel uncomfortable, and I know that being who we are, it could make our lives a little difficult for a while – we would lose a certain amount of privacy.’

‘I had considered that,’ he said as he resumed eating his risotto. ‘But how could I possibly deny you this? Any man would be lucky to have you on their arm. I am flattered and completely astonished that you would want to be so openly associated with me. I am not well-liked by the public, even with my exoneration.’

‘Let’s go out for lunch tomorrow somewhere in Diagon Alley,’ she suggested. ‘We can do a little shopping and be seen out being affectionate but respectable. I will give Harry a little heads-up so that he can have it reported in _The Quibbler_ to try and control how it gets out a little at first – just so that the _Prophet_ can’t sensationalise it or cast you in the role of villainous seducer.’

He chuckled at her last comment. ‘I rather think you have been responsible for most of the seduction thus far, minx,’ he teased.

‘Well we have all weekend together if you are determined to redress the balance,’ she said, challenging him.

He shot her a look of surprise. ‘Why, Miss Granger,’ he began. ‘I do believe you are flirting with me.’

She smiled. ‘Is that allowed?’

‘I believe in relationships it is encouraged.’

‘I like flirting with you,’ she admitted, blushing. ‘You deserve to have some affection shown to you. And I’d be lying if it didn’t thrill me every time I shock a new reaction from you.’

He smirked at that comment, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her lips. They finished their dinner in companionable silence, and after cleaning up the kitchen, adjourned upstairs to the office, snuggling together on the lounge that had taken the place of the armchairs. After they had transfigured them, they decided to leave it that way so they would be able to sit close to one another. She yawned and laid her head on his shoulder, and he summoned a book from the shelf to read while they just shared the space.

‘May I ask you a question, Hermione?’

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. ‘Ask away.’

‘The bedroom today, it was very clean. Almost as though it had not been touched since I was here last,’ he murmured.

‘That wasn’t really a question,’ she chided playfully.

He snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. ‘Why have you been sleeping in the guest room while I’ve been away at Hogwarts?’

She twisted her hands in her lap as was her nervous habit. ‘I wasn’t sure if I should stay in your room or not,’ she admitted. ‘We never really spoke about it.’

He nodded, conceding her point. ‘I would like for you to consider that bedroom to be ours in future, if you would like,’ he said. ‘Render the other room for guests again and take over whatever space you please in the wardrobes and cupboards. Redecorate if it pleases you. There is nothing there that I am not comfortable sharing with you.’

‘You want us to share a room?’ she asked, a little surprised.

He leaned in close to her then so his lips were almost brushing hers so he could whisper. ‘Hermione, I have had my fingers, tongue and cock all over and inside of you,’ he said, his voice smooth as dark coffee and sin. ‘What is mine, is yours. Move your things.’

She blushed, a pang of arousal immediately shooting to her groin at his filthy words. She felt a little dazed as she took in his black eyes. They looked like scorched iron filings and glittered with passion. His mouth was on her again then, taking her own in a sublime kiss before he trailed those hot kisses down her throat, stopping to suckle her clavicle. He swiftly unbuttoned her blouse, pushing aside the fabric to reveal her breasts, and immediately attacked her nipples with his hands and mouth, already tight with desire.

She had no idea how a conversation about shifting her things into the main bedroom had turned into this, but she was not going to complain. He had awoken something primal within her, and she arched herself up into his ministrations as he lightly grazed his teeth over her nipple, pulling back to blow on the flesh and watch them tighten further. She knew her knickers would be drenched. He worshipped her breasts, tonguing and tasting and squeezing.

‘Gods, Severus –‘ she moaned as he nipped his way from her breasts to the edge of her skirt, tonguing her belly button.

His hands began pushing her skirt up her legs, and he grasped the top of her underwear, pulling them down off her long legs, tossing them aside and flipping the skirt up over her stomach, exposing her glistening centre. She had never been so glad to have learned how to groom her body hair. He eyed her hungrily, sliding his fingers over her wet folds, pausing to thumb her clit and drawing a gasp from her. Unsatisfied, he let two of his fingers slide into her, gently pressing them within. She moaned then and the sound seemed to please him.

So without any further ado, he pushed her legs further apart, shuffled down, and buried his face between her legs, licking, suckling and plunging his tongue within her.

‘Fuck,’ she swore, her hips arching into him. He grasped her hips with his firm hands, coming up to suckle on the turgid, pink little pleasure button. She could feel her climax was not far off and he redoubled his efforts. Sliding his two fingers back within her, punctuating his worship pf her sex with the thrusts of his nimble digits. Her hands gripped the lounge as she writhed against him.

‘Come for me, pet,’ he murmured against her, his rumbling voice thick with arousal and vibrating against her.

And she did. Hard. Her hips jerked and he continued to gently lap at her, soothing her overstimulated flesh as she came down from her high. He kissed his way back up her body, and looked for permission before plundering her mouth in a passionate kiss. She could feel his erection beneath his trousers rub against her as he made love to her mouth after one of the most incredible orgasms she had ever had.

‘That was…’ she said a little breathlessly.

He nodded knowingly. ‘Incredible,’ he finished for her. ‘You are so exquisite in the throes of passion, Hermione.’

She let her hand drift down to the buttons of his trousers, rubbing the heel of her hand against his rigid cock. He reached down and grasped her hand, pulling it back up and pinning both of them behind her. He swiftly unbuttoned himself, reaching past his underwear and pulling his impressive organ into view, like velvet covered steel. She sat up then and pushed him to sit back on the couch, which he did reluctantly, and slid down his body, urging him to lift his hips so she could pull his pants down and off.

And without any further preamble, she placed her lips on his cock and began to suckle gently, swirling her tongue over the head and gripping the base of it with a firm hand and stroking. He groaned loudly and his head tilted back against the back of the lounge. Hermione smiled around him, pleased that she was able to make this wizard come apart in her hands and mouth. She started to take him deeper in her mouth, but her lack of experience made her a little shy of going too far, so she did her best to make up for that by stroking his cock and fondling his balls gently as she sucked, swirled, gently twisted and nipped at him.

She could tell he was getting close from the grip he had on the couch, his knuckles turning white, and the harsh pants coming in short bursts from his mouth. To his credit, he did not try to grasp her head and push her down onto him, and his hips only shifted slightly in time with her movements, letting her take the lead on what she was comfortable doing to him.

‘Hermione,’ he rasped, his jaw tight and his eyes squinting at her as she enthusiastically continued her ministrations. ‘I’m going to come soon. You don’t have long to remove your pretty little mouth, witch.’

She looked up at him, but did not stop. She wanted to see it through to the end. His nostrils flared slightly when he realised her intent, which only seemed to further arouse him. His hips jerked up and with a groan, she felt his hot seed spilling into her mouth. Greedily, she swallowed it, managing to only squint a little at the flavour. It was not bad, per se, but certainly not a taste or texture that she was used to. She continued to lick and stroke him until he began to deflate, spent and panting, his dark eyes staring right into hers. She released him, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, before sliding back up onto the couch and snuggling in beside him.

‘I feel boneless,’ Severus murmured, casting a cleansing charm over them with a wave of his hand. ‘That was… unexpected.’

She smiled, feeling pleased with herself. ‘I don’t hear any complaints.’

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her and drawing her close. ‘It almost makes me wonder if you really are as inexperienced as you say…’ he said, grunting softly when she swatted his arm.

‘It’s incredible, really, what you can read about and learn from a book,’ she said, flushing in spite of her flirtatious delivery. 

She turned to see a smile curve his thin, warm lips and leaned up to steal a kiss from him. He shifted a little so that he could cast a charm to put his pants back on before pressing a kiss to the top of her curls.

‘The joys of having a young little bookworm for a lover,’ he said, not remotely joking. ‘Although you may want to go easy on me, Hermione. I’m not exactly young anymore. I need a little recovery time.’

He picked up the book that lay discarded on the coffee table and opened it to get a little light reading in before they went to bed. Hermione decided she needed a shower, and she stood up, pressing a kiss to his cheek and heading for the doorway. When there, she paused and looked over at her lover.

‘I need to get clean,’ she explained.

‘Move your things into my bathroom if you care to,’ he said, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a small, lopsided smile. ‘Although if you want to retain your own bathroom, you are certainly more than welcome to.’

She smiled at him. He was anxious, bless him. He wanted them to share space like a couple, which was flattering, and she was thrilled he cared for her enough to do so. She walked back over to him and sat beside him, plucking the book from his hands so that she could hold both of them. She loved his strong, elegant hands, and those long dexterous fingers.

‘How about this. I shall move my things into the bathroom tonight, and tomorrow the rest of my things will find their way into our bedroom,’ she said seriously, leaning down and pressing kisses to their joined hands.

She looked into his eyes and saw that he was surprised. She was certain it was because of her deliberate use of the word ‘ _our_ ’. He nodded at her then, lifting their hands up to his mouth and pressing kisses there in the same way she had before.

‘That sounds… acceptable,’ he said, his voice catching, thick with emotion.

She leaned forward and captured his lips, drinking in the sweetest kiss. If anyone had told her a few months ago that she would be in a relationship and living with Severus Snape, she would have had them carted off to the St. Mungo’s psychiatric department. But there she was, and she thought to herself as she languidly enjoyed her lover’s delicious mouth, that she might just be falling in love with him.

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To be continued.

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A/N – Thank you for patiently waiting for this chapter! Many thanks to my beta GeekLoveFan for all of her attention to detail!


	13. Revalations

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The whir of the printing press filled the house, echoing off the walls. It was a comforting sound – one that spoke of busy work.

Hermione stood, watching over the printing press in Grimmauld Place, occasionally taking a printed sheet as the press churned them out. It was a Saturday, so she had gotten up early, gone for a jog, showered and apparated over to Harry’s so that she could help him print the Sunday edition of the Quibbler. So far Harry had been taking everything in his stride, but she was missing spending time with him due to their very busy work schedules. Her apprenticeship was going well, but she would be lying if she said it wasn’t gruelling work.

And so, she was working on her weekend because apparently she was a glutton for punishment, and a little bit of a workaholic. 

The printer came to a halt then and she picked up the small pile of pages she had taken, casting a spell to send the remaining pages to the sorting desk where the spell cast on it immediately began its work. She walked out of the printing room and walked down the hall to Harry’s office. She stood in the doorway and saw her friend sitting at the desk, scribbling furiously away on a parchment with his quill. She had never seen him this focussed on anything before – especially his schoolwork at Hogwarts. She had struggled to get the boys to focus on anything then.

She knocked on the wall to alert him to her presence. ‘I’ve got a sample of those pages for you to look over,’ she informed him, walking in and depositing them on the growing stack of work in his in-tray.

‘Thanks, Hermione,’ he said gratefully.

‘I’m worried about you,’ she said, sitting in the chair across from him. ‘You have been working around the clock for weeks now. I’ve barely seen you come up for air. Are you even seeing anyone other than your employees and occasionally me?’

He sighed and closed his eyes. ‘I saw Ron the other day,’ he replied, opening his eyes and looking at her. ‘Having your own business is much more bloody difficult than I was expecting.’

Hermione smiled sympathetically. ‘I am so proud of you,’ she told him, her tone serious. ‘You have always been an intelligent and hard-working person, but you always directed your passion towards fighting dark wizards and Quidditch. I’m just so glad you have found something else that you can channel all the wonderful things you have to offer into.’

Harry beamed at her. ‘You actually have no idea how much I needed to hear that,’ he said, standing up from his chair and walking around the desk and hugging her fiercely. ‘Coming from the most hard-working person I know, being told I’m doing well is… it just means a lot.’

‘Stop it,’ she said, returning his hug. ‘You’re going to make me emotional.’

He pulled back and smiled shyly. ‘I think we should take a little break. I’m starving. I can’t even concentrate anymore, and I want to be refreshed before I read through the print you just brought me,’ he said. ‘Let’s go to the chippy down the road and eat in the park. I think we could both do with some fresh air.’

Hermione grinned. ‘That sounds perfect.’

They both grabbed their coats on the way out of Grimmauld Place, and walked side by side down the road, until they reached the chippy a block away. They ordered and sat outside on the little stools in the cold while they waited, and soon enough their order was ready and Harry carried the bag with the two bundles of newspaper-wrapped warmth, and they went to the park. They found a picnic table free, and even though it was cold, they dug into their fish and chips with gusto. Hermione closed her eyes in bliss as she took a bite of her curried mushy peas.

‘It’s been so bloody long since I’ve had anything deep fried,’ she said as she chewed thoughtfully on a chip.

‘You look like you have lost a little weight,’ Harry pointed out, a little concern edging his tone. ‘Are you taking care of yourself properly?’

Hermione felt herself flush at his question. ‘I haven’t been deliberately neglecting myself, but I get very distracted when I work, and often forget to stop for lunch through the week. It’s been a little stressful at work.’

‘How do you mean?’ he asked.

She sighed heavily. The work was interesting, the study was challenging, but she was struggling to get Healer Barnaby to leave her be. It had been three weeks since she had last seen Severus and they had made a small public debut by spending the afternoon in Diagon Alley. There had been some questioning stares, some gasps behind their backs, and maybe a little chatter, but it had been a largely uneventful trip. Severus had been on edge the entire time, but not once did he pull away from her, and she kept her small hand tucked into the crook of his elbow as they walked around.

But come Monday, when she returned to work, Barnaby had been incessant with trying to be around her, asking her questions, giving her tasks to do in spite of the fact that she was no longer on his rotation. And three weeks later, it had not gotten much better. It was as though knowing she was not available made her even more enticing. But he was subtle and never said anything that could actually be traced back to him as workplace harassment, so she couldn’t go to any of their higher-ups and report him for anything.

‘I don’t know if I should tell you…’ she said quietly.

‘Hermione, if someone is giving you trouble at work, you definitely shouldn’t be letting them get away with it,’ he said, his tone serious.

She nodded. ‘I know, and I definitely don’t want to, but I also don’t want anyone to try and accuse me of using my notoriety or association with you to deal with my problems.’

Harry nodded. ‘I know what you mean,’ he replied.

‘Then you know why I have to keep my mouth shut,’ she said. ‘Look, it’s not as though he can do anything, so I will just put up with him annoying me at work.’

‘But if it goes beyond just harassing you at work, you must promise me that you will take it to management,’ Harry implored.

She nodded in agreement. ‘Okay, but I need you to promise not to mention this to Severus,’ she said, her fingers wringing together in the way they often did when she was anxious.

Harry’s eyes widened. ‘You haven’t told Severus that someone in your workplace is harassing you?’ he asked, shocked. ‘Hermione, he would want to know.’

‘I know, but I just don’t want him to worry over me,’ she said with a sigh. ‘He’s so busy with teaching and all of his other duties – the man is already stretched. I can’t have him concerned about some idiot at work showing just a little too much interest in me – I know enough about him to know he would probably get jealous.’

Harry nodded. ‘Actually, based on what I have seen from his memories of my mum, you are probably right about the jealousy thing.’

‘I miss him,’ Hermione said quietly. ‘Seeing him so infrequently, and having to be satisfied with letters and the occasional Floo call has been tough.’

Harry nodded in understanding. It had been much the same for him with Luna. Their relationships were still new – delicate. It was very near the hardest thing Hermione had to go through in her short life. Getting to know her paramour was thrilling – each new layer she peeled back made her feelings for him grow. He was so fascinating, and had so many interests. He kept her both intellectually and physically stimulated. The sex had been mind-blowing – the man had more passion in his pinkie than most men had in their entire bodies.

‘I miss Luna too,’ Harry agreed. ‘I think I might be in love with her, you know?’

Hermione smiled. ‘I rather think Luna might be in love with you, too. I see the way she looks at you. You ground her. And she is good for you – she stops you from getting buried under the world you think you still carry on your shoulders. She is light and airy.’

‘Are you going to Hogwarts next week for Halloween then?’ he asked.

Hermione nodded. She was so excited to be going for the Halloween feast. She had received her invitation from Minerva in the post that week. She had called Severus the night she had received it, and he had told her he had patrols that night, but was free the rest of the weekend. So Hermione had suggested that she stay with him at the school that weekend. He had been surprised at her suggestion, but welcomed it. She rather hoped he was a lot more excited than he was letting on.

‘I’m going to stay with Severus at the castle next weekend.’

‘You are?’ he said, his eyebrows rising.

‘You must be terribly naïve, Harry, if you think that Severus and I just hold hands and kiss,’ she teased, causing her friend to blush.

‘I suppose I don’t really think of you in those terms,’ he admitted. ‘Luna and I haven’t… the timing was just never right, and I don’t want to pressure her.’

Hermione put her hand over his, giving it a squeeze. ‘You don’t have to be in a hurry with these things,’ she told him. ‘For Severus and me, it was right. We share a home and I’ve more or less taken over our room now.’

‘ _Our_ room?’

She chuckled. ‘He suggested I move my things,’ she replied. ‘I took him up on the offer.’

‘He has it bad,’ Harry said with a grin, squeezing her hand. ‘He is one of the most private people I have ever met, and if he is willing to give up his own space for you, then he clearly has very strong feelings for you.’

‘I hope he does,’ she said quietly. ‘I have rather strong feelings for him as well.’

‘Do you love him?’ Harry asked hesitantly.

She flushed. Did she love him? She was definitely starting to feel that way. Being near him made her feel both excited and completely safe. He was so unlike the man who had been their teacher, and yet totally like him. And she loved that.

‘I think I do,’ she whispered, looking down at their joined hands.

‘You don’t have to worry about me,’ Harry said. ‘I think he and I are on the way to being friends now that we’ve both cast aside our preconceived notions of one another. He is good for you – to you.’

She felt a wave of affection for her friend. ‘I’m so glad that you have both been able to let go of the past and learn to appreciate one another. I was so worried no one else would be able to see past his front and get to know him. He is truly one of the most remarkable people I have ever met in my life.’

‘And there it is,’ Harry said.

‘What is?’

‘The look in your eye when you speak about him. I’ve seen that look before. From the memories I’ve seen, my mum had that look when she saw my dad. Remus and Tonks used to look at one another that way. Bill looks that way at Fleur. Even Molly and Arthur still look at one another the way you look when you speak about him or are near him. That is the look of love.’

‘I’m not sure I’m ready to tell him so soon…’

‘You don’t have to,’ he said. ‘But now you know it, so you can do what you want with the information when you are ready.’

‘When did you go and get so wise, Harry Potter?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know, really. Perhaps years of feeling like death could come for me at any moment has forced me to take stock of things,’ he answered with a shrug.

‘That’ll do it,’ she said.

They finished their lunches off and put all of the wrappings into the bag, carrying it back to Grimmauld Place with them to dispose of. Harry went back to his office to work, and Hermione decided she would go home to finish up with some of her extra reading for her Apprenticeship to prepare for the next week. She used the Floo to get home and went about lighting the fireplace in the office upstairs.

She found her study texts and was soon curled up on the lounge with a blanket over her legs, the book opened to a chapter on bone healing and regeneration. She was to work in that ward the following week and wanted to be up on the charms and procedures that were followed. Her only real experience with bone breakage had been when Harry’s arm had been broken in their second year, and he’d had to grow a new bone from scratch overnight, which was not the ideal. She was certain there were all sorts of more effective charms than the one that imbecile Lockhart had performed.

She read for a while, fascinated by the information. There were spells in there she knew would take some time for her to master, and others that seemed more simple. Deciding it was time to take a short break, she made her way to the kitchen to make herself a tea and scare up some biscuits. Severus had a secret sweet tooth, and as such always made sure there were plenty of ginger biscuits available in a tin on the top of the fridge. She fished a few out and placed them on a small plate, and once her tea was ready, she took them with her back up to the office.

It had taken some time, but now she no longer felt uncomfortable alone at Spinner’s End without her lover present. At first she had felt like an intruder in someone else’s home, but eventually he wore her down, and now that she was occupying the master bedroom even in his absence, she felt like it was really home to her. That was not to say she didn’t miss him – she missed him a great deal, and would often dream about him in her sleep. But she wasn’t as lonely as she would have expected, living on her own.

Hermione took a sip of her tea and began nibbling on a biscuit as she picked up her text and resumed reading.

A little while later, she felt a shift in the wards and knew that someone had come to the house via the Floo in the sitting room. She made sure her wand was accessible in her sleeve and went downstairs to investigate. She was about to draw her wand when she reached the bottom of the stairs and slid through the wall panel, but saw that Severus was standing in the entryway, pacing back and forth, a thunderous look on his face.

‘Severus?’ she said softly.

His eyes snapped up to look at her and she saw his demeanour improve immediately. His arms opened to her beckoningly, and she accepted, throwing herself into him and hugging him tightly with her arms around his neck. He crushed her to him, almost knocking the air from her as he did. They held one another there for a while, neither one saying anything – simply holding one another and accepting comfort.

‘Hello,’ she said, pulling back just enough so she could see his face. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you until next weekend.’

‘I’ve had a terrible week at the school, and I just needed to get away from the castle to clear my head for a moment,’ he replied, his silken voice murmuring into her ear as he buried his face into the curls at the side of her neck.

‘Would you like to tell me what happened?’ she asked.

‘In a moment,’ he answered, his lips shifting closer to her so he could press a kiss behind her ear and inhale the smell of her hair and skin.

She instantly felt weak at the knees. ‘Let’s go upstairs and have some tea and you can tell me about it,’ she suggested. ‘I’ll get you a cup, you go ahead and warm up. I have a fire lit.’

He nodded gratefully and released her, dragging himself up the stairs, his shoulders slumped slightly in exhaustion. She went to the kitchen and had the kettle boiling in minutes, preparing his tea and hunting for a bit of chocolate in the pantry. Once she had everything she needed, she went up to the office to join him. She found him on the lounge, one long-fingered hand rubbing over his tired eyes.

‘I’m beginning to regret returning to Hogwarts,’ he said as she passed him the mug of tea.

‘Where has this come from all of a sudden?’ she asked, concerned.

‘I had a couple of students who have been consistently underperforming and disrupting my class in detention last weekend during the Hogsmeade visitation time. As it turns out, both of those little scrotes have parents who are governors on the school board, and today they decided to call an impromptu meeting to discuss my unfair detainment of their precious progeny.’

Hermione gawked at him. ‘That’s ridiculous,’ she said, immediately annoyed on his behalf.

‘I agree, and so does Minerva. She said as much to them,’ he replied, taking a pensive sip of the hot liquid in his mug. ‘But by the end of the meeting we had been strong-armed into allowing those two morons to go to Hogsmeade escorted tomorrow so that they might purchase attire for the Halloween feast.’

‘That is also absurd,’ Hermione said, not believing what she was being told. ‘That is a complete abuse of power by those school governors.’

‘I am well aware,’ he murmured, sighing heavily. ‘In spite of the efforts you, Harry, and Minerva have gone to on my behalf, there are still quite a lot of former students and parents who have been unable to forgive my treatment of them over the past nearly nineteen years of teaching. Not to mention, a lot of people who don’t give a Thestral’s bollocks that I was exonerated. I was bound to have some push-back.’

Hermione snuggled up beside him on the couch, pressing herself firmly to his side. She unwrapped the chocolate in her hand and broke off a small piece, holding it up to her lover and smiling as he accepted the comforting treat. He kissed her fingers lightly after she slid the morsel beyond his thin lips, and she placed the remainder on the coffee table. She watched as he chewed slowly and swallowed, his expression becoming more relaxed as the chocolate did its magic.

‘I’m always on your side,’ she murmured softly. ‘No matter what.’

‘I will forever be grateful for that, Hermione,’ he said, drawing her to him.

She rested her back against his chest, leaning on him and swinging her legs up onto the lounge. Soon she had the blanket pulled up over them and his arms were around her, one of his warm palms resting on her flat stomach over her jumper. Not all of their touches had to be frantic and impassioned – sometimes it was nice to just sit and hold one another, drawing comfort. They sat together like this for some time, silently enjoying the short escape from their everyday lives.

‘Does Minerva know you came home?’ she asked.

She felt him nod into her hair, felt the warm puff of his breath on the back of her neck causing the hairs there to stand up.

‘She gave me leave to have a night away from the castle, but expects me back for dinner tomorrow,’ he replied. ‘I have rounds tomorrow evening as well.’

Hermione felt a smile spread across her lips. ‘So you are staying the night?’

He chuckled, the low rumble vibrating between them. ‘Yes, minx,’ he answered. ‘I will stay the night with you.’

She turned her head as much as she could and tilted it up so she could see his face. ‘I’ve missed you,’ she said before pressing a kiss to his Adams’s apple.

‘And I you, pet,’ he murmured, dipping his head down to meet her lips in a gentle kiss. ‘These visits of ours are far too infrequent and much too short for my liking.’

‘It’s not forever,’ she said softly. ‘I was thinking it might be nice for you if I were to come and stay in your quarters with you once a fortnight instead. I can always help you with your marking.’

She saw him smile, an honest to goodness smile then and it made her stomach flutter. She wanted to give this man more reasons to smile like that.

‘Perhaps we have been a little too strict with ourselves with visitation,’ he conceded. ‘It was important for the start of the year to strike up a routine, but perhaps there is a little room for flexibility. I will admit, seeing you more often would be preferable to being distracted from my work by thinking about you. You drive me to distraction, witch.’

‘That doesn’t sound like an insult, funnily enough,’ she murmured, turning slightly in his arms so she could kiss him soundly. ‘I miss your voice, your mind, your company, and your hands on me.’

His chuckle was almost evil then, his hands roaming up her sides, those long, talented fingers sweeping over her breasts lightly before coming to rest on her shoulders. ‘I hope my hands aren’t the only thing you miss having on you, minx.’

‘I’d be open to a demonstration on what other things you think I ought to miss,’ she said suggestively. ‘It’s been so long, I might need to have my memory refreshed.’

With a sound almost like a growl, he was up on his feet and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder and marching them to their bedroom, her squeaking in surprise and delight as he did.

An hour or so later, Hermione lay with her back to him, slightly sweaty from their ministrations, his body spooned around hers, and his hand gently stroking her unclothed hip. She could feel his even breath on her neck, and she knew he was drifting between wakefulness and sleep. The man was exhausted, and she knew he must be feeling rather vulnerable and emotional after his confrontation with the board members.

‘I wish we could just stay like this,’ he mumbled wistfully. ‘Hogwarts be damned.’

‘You could ask Minerva if she would release you from teaching early,’ Hermione suggested, turning in his arms to face him, wrapping her free arm around his waist.

He shook his head. ‘I could not abandon Minerva like that so early in the school year, although it does make me question if I will be remaining after the end of school next June. I’m just frustrated with the lack of progress we have made as a society,’ he said quietly. ‘I would ask for a lot more school reforms, but Minerva is playing it safe. I think that a whole new board of governors should be appointed, with special care taken to rule out any candidates with children currently attending the school so as to remain impartial.’

‘That would make a lot more sense,’ Hermione agreed. ‘It is very difficult to separate yourself from making a decision when your own child’s happiness is on the line.’

They lapsed into silence, and Hermione could practically hear the cogs turning in Severus’s mind as he was thinking things through. After a few minutes, he shifted them so he could look into her eyes, one of his hands drifting up to her hair, tucking a wild curl behind her ear.

‘Do you want children, Hermione’ he asked.

Hermione was surprised by his question. She didn’t think he would be wondering something like that. She supposed she hadn’t really thought about that question all that much herself. She supposed she might want one or two at some stage, but probably not for another few years at least. She thought that if the two of them were to procreate their children would be exceptional.

‘One day maybe,’ she answered, looking into his dark fathomless eyes. ‘Does that bother you?’

He thought for a moment, before shaking his head. ‘I had not considered children as a possibility before,’ he replied. ‘I did not have the luxury of thinking those things before – I had not expected to survive the war, but an incredible, beautiful young witch had other ideas. I would not be opposed to one, maybe two children one day.’

She smiled, her heart warmed by his words. ‘Well then, I’m glad we are on the same page,’ she said, leaning up to kiss him.

And for a while after that, nothing else was said, and they gave into their passion again. Afterwards, they showered, cleansing away the evidence of their ardour before going down to the kitchen for sustenance. She set about to chopping vegetables to make the base of a soup, while Severus organised the ingredients to make some fresh bread. She saw him lean against the bench to observe her for a moment. She could feel herself beginning to blush from his silent scrutiny.

‘Quit staring at me,’ she said, looking up at him. ‘Come bake your bread.’

‘Bossy witch,’ he grumbled, joining her at the bench so they could work side-by-side.

‘This is not news,’ she said, waving her wand to summon a large pot from the cupboards. She set it on the stove, turning on one of the hobs and adding some butter to it.

And as they worked together in quiet harmony, Hermione thought to herself that the two of them might make good parents one day, complementing each other the way that the did. The thought brought a smile to her face, and when she looked up, she could see that a small smile also lifted the corner of Severus’s mouth.

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To be continued.

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A/N – Thank you to my lovely beta GeekLoveFan for sorting through my mistakes! Thank you to everyone who had continued to take this journey with me! x


	14. All Hallows Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day friends! I thought I'd sneak a little extra chapter in for y'all as a treat! Enjoy! x

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

The Great Hall was lit up beautifully and the enchanted ceiling was liberally sprinkled with the stars that filled the night sky. Candles floated all through the air and the rest of the hall was decorated in a delightfully festive harvest theme.

Hermione had walked through the main doors, and thought that it looked very beautiful and tasteful. Unlike the spooky, creepy themes of the past, all ghosts and stormy and stereotypical, this work that had been put together by Minerva and Filius Flitwick was sublime. Hermione smoothed her hands over her dress, brushing away an imaginary wrinkle. She had dressed very carefully for the occasion, taking extra special care with twisting her hair up off her neck into an elegant up-do, a few curls still framing her face.

She was wearing a dark, midnight gown made of silk. It fell to about mid-calf and had a high neck but open back, and she felt a little risqué wearing it. She had on a pair of black pumps and her wand was tucked into a wand garter she wore around her right thigh. It didn’t matter that the war was over – one could never be too safe.

She wove through the see of people in the hall – students, staff and other invited guests. She could see Harry and Luna chatting together and standing awfully close over by the far end of the hall where the Teachers’ table was on the raised platform. She beamed at them when they noticed her and waved her over to join them. She was a little relieved to have a couple of friendly faces there, and was wondering where they were to be seated.

‘Hermione, you look smashing,’ Harry told her, hugging her tightly when she reached them.

‘So good to see you,’ Luna said with a dazzling smile, embracing her as well. ‘Harry’s right, you look so beautiful. Love becomes you.’

Hermione was warmed by their kind greeting, blushing at Luna’s comment. ‘You both look very dapper yourselves,’ she said, willing away her flush. ‘Minerva has outdone herself.’

‘Where is Severus?’ Harry asked.

‘I haven’t seen him yet,’ she replied. ‘I assume he is around here somewhere.’

She cast her eyes around the room and saw several familiar faces, some she was pleased to see, others she was not to thrilled about. She caught sight of Ron chatting with Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, and quickly looked away. It had been some time since the last time she had seen him, and she was perfectly fine with it that way. He would have no doubt heard about her relationship with Severus somewhere, and he appeared to be avoiding her.

She was vaguely listening to Harry and Luna chat to her about how the _Quibbler_ had increased subscription numbers by nearly a hundred people that week and was about to congratulate them when she saw him. Severus had walked into the hall looking like sin personified, and her breath shuddered out of her. His long, dark hair framed his face, and he was wearing a very sleek, tailored set of dress robes for the occasion. His normal white shirt was replaced with one of deep, forest green silk, and the buttons on his frock coat and robes were ornate, antique bronze.

Harry and Luna looked over to where her focus was now drawn, and she knew she had been caught out gawking at her lover.

‘Here now, don’t look at the man like that here in the hall,’ Harry teased. ‘It’s positively indecent.’

Hermione closed her mouth audibly and blushed, but still didn’t take her eyes away from her wizard. His dark, molten eyes met hers and she saw his mouth become slack for a moment. He strode towards them then, not taking his eyes from her for a moment, weaving through the crowd with a practiced ease. And soon he stood before her, his strength and power like a beacon, drawing her to him. He held his hand out to her, and she put her small one in his, for him to draw it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles that spoke volumes.

‘You are ravishing,’ he whispered, ducking his head down so he would not be heard.

She felt her blush return tenfold. ‘You don’t look so bad yourself,’ she mumbled, feeling a little shy suddenly.

He turned then to address her two friends who both bore smirks on their faces. ‘Harry, Miss Lovegood,’ he greeted with a nod. ‘How lovely to see you both this evening.’

Harry moved forward and stuck his hand out, shaking hands with their former teacher jovially. ‘It has been a while, Severus,’ he replied. ‘Keeping yourself busy here, I assume?’

‘Reasonably,’ he answered. ‘And how is the _Quibbler_ fairing?’

‘Busy as all buggery,’ Harry replied, earning a swat from his girlfriend beside him.

‘What Harry means to say, Professor, is that the paper is going very well,’ Luna interrupted, her pale blue eyes flashing with pride. ‘We’ve had a recent surge in subscriptions, and we are looking at a very promising trajectory before Christmas.’

‘I am elated,’ Severus murmured, only somewhat sarcastically, earning himself a poke in the ribs from Hermione. He looked a little chastened. ‘That is excellent news, Miss Lovegood.’

‘I think you ought to call me Luna,’ the younger woman said with a friendly smile. ‘At least in social situations, sir.’

He nodded a little in acknowledgement. ‘You have leave to call me Severus in private if you feel you can separate when in class.’

Luna and Hermione both beamed at him then. Before they had the chance to continue chatting, Minerva stood at the head table and announced dinner, and everyone started to move towards the tables and their seats. Severus leaned down to Hermione’s ear which caused her to shiver a little.

‘I’m expected up at the Head table,’ he said quietly. ‘Will you be okay sitting with your friends during the meal?’

Hermione smiled and nodded. ‘Off you go,’ she told him. ‘I’ll see you after dinner.’

He nodded and strode off to join the other staff, and she felt a little pang of loss. Shaking the feeling, she joined her two friends as they went to sit over at the Ravenclaw table. Ginny Weasley also went over to join them, sitting right beside Hermione. She was surprised the younger woman was joining them, but Hermione supposed she didn’t really know what progress had been made – she was so focussed on her own school commitments.

‘You look fantastic,’ Ginny told her, as she served herself some food from the platters before them. ‘That dress is a knockout – I’m surprised old Snape didn’t whisk you away into a dark corner.’

Hermione found herself flushing for the third time that night, and swatted her friend’s shoulder. ‘Ginny!’ she exclaimed in shock at the brazen statement. ‘Audience, please.’

Ginny simply shot her a wide grin and shrugged. The younger witch seemed a lot more like her old self than she had the last time Hermione had seen her. She had been a little down after things ended with Harry, but it seemed that school and a new boyfriend had been just the thing to turn her frown upside down.

‘How has school been?’ Hermione asked her friends, directing the question to Luna across the table as well.

‘It’s fine, but honestly I can’t wait for the year to be over,’ Ginny said. ‘After the last few years it feels strange to have to be back at school, playing the part of a student.’

Luna nodded in agreement. ‘It has been a challenge trying to balance school with doing things for the _Quibbler_ to send to Harry.’

‘How’s Neville?’ Hermione asked, looking at the girl beside her.

‘He’s doing so well,’ Ginny gushed. ‘Madam Sprout is training him to take over from her in a few years’ time when she plans to retire, so he has been very busy learning on top of her talking through the curriculum with her.’

‘That’s wonderful,’ she said. ‘I’ll have to try and make time to come over one weekend so he can show me through the greenhouse, and I might learn a little about cultivating. I want to start growing a few potions ingredients at home in the spring and build a greenhouse of my own.’

‘I’m sure Severus wouldn’t mind if you wanted to build one at your house,’ Harry said with a smile.

Hermione tapped her fingers against her mouth thoughtfully. ‘I will talk to him about it sometime.’

‘How is that going, Hermione?’ Ginny asked, curious.

‘Oh, ah with Severus?’ she asked, and her friend nodded. ‘Really well actually. I’ve been missing him a lot when we are kept away due to conflicting schedules, but I’m very happy. He is good to me.’

Ginny smiled, patting her hand supportively. ‘As long as he treats you right, he is okay in my books.’

‘How has he been as a teacher again?’ Hermione asked out of curiosity.

‘Professor Snape is as he has always been – concerned for his students’ safety and therefore quite strict in class,’ Luna said diplomatically.

Hermione laughed softly. ‘That was a very kind assessment, Luna,’ she said.

‘She isn’t wrong,’ Ginny interjected. ‘He is still quite curt, but he doesn’t single out students based on houses like he used to. I think he is a lot more unbiased when punishing students now and generally I’ve noticed he will offer one chance to improve behaviour before giving out any of his hellish detentions.’

Hermione smiled. She was pleased to know that while he was still grouchy and a little indifferent to his students, he was marching to a different drum these days. She didn’t really need Luna and Ginny to tell her, but it was nice knowing all the same. She ate and chatted with her friends like the old days, and at one point Neville joined them from his seat beside Pomona Sprout. It was so wonderful being with all of her dearest friends again. While she was enjoying her studies, her time at St. Mungo’s was a lot of work and no play. She hadn’t really grown close with any of the other staff or apprentices, which was perhaps her own fault.

Soon the dinner was winding down, and once the tables had been cleared, Minerva cast a spell to remove them, turning the Great Hall into a ballroom similar to how it had been for the Yule Ball in her fourth year. A band struck up a tune, and people began dancing as the festivities continued. Hermione walked around the edge of the ballroom, surveying the people dancing with a smile. The last time she had been back here, they were rebuilding the school, and the last big event at Hogwarts had been the memorial, so it was nice for them to be hosting a more positive and happy event.

She made eye contact with Fleur Weasley and Bill over by the edge of where the majority of the Weasley clan stood talking and gave a small wave. She kept scanning the crowd for her lover, but was unable to find him. She was about to give up and continue making her away around the throng of people, when she felt a large warm hand on her back, dancing over the point when her dress dipped the lowest at her waist. She looked over her shoulder and saw the row of tempting buttons, her breath catching a little.

‘Would you care to dance?’ he asked, his velvet rumble washing over her, making her shiver.

‘I would love to,’ she answered, barely above a whisper.

She wasn’t sure her voice would work, much less her legs, but Severus led her onto the dance floor, and spun her into him with the ease and grace of a dancer. He was so natural in all his movements, like he was drifting, and she felt a little clumsy. He held one of her hands firmly with his, his other hand pressed to her back, gently stroking circles on her flesh. She felt like she was on fire, and all of it was radiating from the point at which his fingers danced.

She plucked gently at the collar of his shirt, marvelling at the feel of the fabric and how delicious he smelled. His signature blend of woods and spices were intoxicating her and making her feel a little dizzy. Gods, she loved being in his arms. She had been so lonely without him through the week even though she knew that they would be together this weekend. She leaned her head against his chest, snuggling closer to him as they moved.

‘I can’t wait to rip this dress from you later,’ she heard him whisper against her ear, his tongue gently tracing the shell.

She thought her knickers might spontaneously combust at his words. ‘Fuck,’ she uttered.

‘Yes, that’s what I was rather hoping for,’ he said with an almost filthy chuckle.

‘You are a wicked man, with a wicked tongue,’ she said, as she leaned back to look up at him.

‘I plan to show you just how wicked I can be, later,’ he remarked, drawing yet another blush from her.

‘I don’t know that I can wait that long,’ Hermione said, pouting.

Severus chuckled, releasing her hand momentarily to stroke a long finger down the slope of her nose. He took up her hand again, moving them to the music.

‘Sadly, I have to patrol the halls after this is over tonight, so I will need to remain in the hall until the students are in bed and the guests have left,’ he told her, look down at her with affection. ‘Until then, we shall just have to be patient.’

She sighed heavily, tucking her head back under his chin. They swayed to the music, and she just enjoyed being near to him. The people in the Great Hall began to disperse slowly, until only a few remained. Severus drew her off to the side of the hall, his large, strong hand enveloping hers.

‘Go down to my chambers,’ he told her. ‘I’ll come down once I have finished my patrol.’

‘Okay,’ she said, flashing him a dazzling smile. ‘Try not to be too long.’

She left the hall, making her way down to the Dungeons and followed the path down to where Severus had shown her the entrance to his chambers. She murmured the password to the portrait, and it swung open to allow her entry. All of his wards were set to recognise her, and when she arrived at his sitting room, she removed her wand and levitated more firewood into the fireplace, stoking the fire again as it appeared to be dying out.

She found a book and a blanket, and sat on the lounge, settling in to read for a while as she waited for Severus to return.

About an hour had passed, and she felt herself growing tired after the expending so much energy socialising at the feast. She got up to return the book to the shelf, and when she passed the door on the far left side of the room, she could hear voices beyond it. One of those voices definitely belonged to her lover, but the other was also strangely familiar, and seemed to be rather agitated. Quietly, she opened the door leading down a short hall. At the end of that hall was his office – the one he kept for dealing with students.

‘- and the sooner you wrap your thick head around it, the better,’ she heard Severus sneer.

‘You’ve done something to her, Snape,’ the other voice said, full of hatred and accusation.

And Hermione knew who it was – Ron was on the other side of the door talking to him. She pressed herself a little closer to the door so that she could hear better what was being said between the two of them. She felt a little guilty for eavesdropping, but she also wasn’t sure if she was prepared for a confrontation with Ron.

‘Hermione is not a prize to be won, Weasley,’ Severus snapped. ‘She is not a trophy. She is an intelligent and independent woman, capable of making her own decisions. If she has told you that her reasons for ending your association have nothing to do with me, you would do well to believe her.’

‘There is no way in hell that Hermione would end things with me just to be with an ugly, old, bitter, murdering coward like you,’ Ron said, clearly not in control of his emotions and lashing out.

Luckily, she knew Severus would be in complete control of his own and would not allow Ron to goad him with name calling. ‘I pity you, Weasley.’

‘What did you say to me?’ Ron asked, his voice becoming both lower and more shrill at the same time somehow.

‘You heard perfectly well,’ Severus said. ‘You are so full of yourself, such an egomaniac that you can’t see your own faults. Hermione tried to give you the benefit of the doubt and end things with you honestly and on good terms, and you have abused her and cast off your many years of friendship over something so petty as her not wanting to lead you on in a loveless relationship.’

‘What, and you think Hermione loves you?’ Ron spat. ‘Don’t make me laugh. How could she ever love someone like you?’

That was all Hermione was willing to listen to. She pushed open the door that separated her from the office, her hands balled into fists in her anger. Ron had crossed the line and she was not going to stand by as he belittled Severus.

‘I do love him, Ron,’ she said firmly, casting her eyes over to Severus who had froze when the words left her mouth.

‘What?’ Ron said, his face becoming red with anger.

‘I said I love him,’ she repeated, walking across the room so that she could open the other door to the hall that led out of the dungeons. ‘And if you don’t mind, you are no longer welcome in here. I must ask you to leave.’

‘But Hermione…’ he complained.

‘Leave, Ronald,’ she said, finality in her tone.

Hermione set her expression to a hard look, keeping her eyes fixed angrily on Ron as he sucked in an angry breath and stormed out of the office. She closed the door, locking it and lifting the wards back up, taking a deep breath before turning around to face the silent Severus. She looked up at his face, and his expression was blank as he stared at her.

‘You love me?’ he whispered.

She smiled at his question. ‘I love you,’ she said quietly.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but she didn’t have time to because he was on her then, his mouth crushing almost painfully to hers, drinking in anything she had to say with the fire of his scorching kiss. Her head began to swim, and he held her to him with arms that felt as though they were bands of steel. Just as she was beginning to wonder if the kiss would end, he pulled back, breathing heavily, his forehead pressed to her own.

‘I don’t expect anything, Severus,’ she said, cupping his cheek with her hand. ‘I just thought it was important that he knew - that you know…’

‘I love you too,’ he said, cutting her off.

She blinked, unable to believe what she had just heard. ‘You… you love me?’

He nodded firmly. ‘You are unlike anyone I have ever known, Hermione Granger, and you continue to surprise me with your kindness, your mind, your humour - everything about you draws me in and makes me want to be a better person than the one you pulled back from the brink of death. How can you possibly be in any doubt? You are very singular, my witch, and for as long as you will have me, I will endeavour to show you the depth of my feelings for you.’

Hermione felt completely blown away by his declaration. This man before her loved her. He loved her. She was not expecting this at all given his lifelong struggle with being in touch with his emotions. But here he was, giving her his heart to take care of – trusting her in a way he had trusted seldom few. She threw her arms around him, taking his mouth in a kiss that tried to convey to him just how much it meant to her that he had said those three little words.

He grasped her bottom then, hiking her dress up around her thighs and lifting her up, her legs wrapping around his body, clinging to him like a limpet. He broke the kiss so that he could walk them back to his quarters, kicking the door to his office closed behind him. He bypassed the sitting room and took her straight to the bedroom, depositing her on the bed and staring at her with such longing, He began undoing the many buttons of his robes, and as he started on the frock coat, Hermione joined in, beginning at the bottom as he had the top.

When both were discarded, Hermione started on the buttons of his trousers, but he stopped her, grasping her delicate little hands in his own to still her movements.

‘I’m afraid if you continue there, this may be over before it begins,’ he admitted, pulling his shirt from his trousers and unbuttoning the top few before pulling the shirt off over his head.

She was on fire, her every limb vibrating with her desire for him. He beckoned her to the edge of the bed, and she stood up for him, carefully unzipping the dress, listening to it softly rasp. He grasped the bottom of her dress once more, this time pulling it up and over her head, letting it drop to the ground and join his discarded clothing there. His hands immediately went to her breasts, finding the clasp of her bra tucked between the soft globes in front. With a twist, the cups popped free and he pushed the fabric aside to reveal her flesh, her dusky pink nipples already hard and waiting for him.

He leaned down and captured one in his mouth, ripping a moan from her. He was so good with his mouth, his tongue laving while he nipped gently with his teeth. He gave due attention to both, suckling and rolling and pinching until she felt she might expire from his worship of her breasts alone. He moved on then, trailing hot open-mouthed kisses down her stomach until he reached the crux of her thighs. And then he proceeded to lick her, paying special attention to the bud of her clitoris, sliding two fingers within her and pumping them in and out. She could feel her orgasm threatening, and her hips thrust up towards him of their own volition.

‘Please, Severus,’ she moaned, her breath coming in short pants. ‘Please—I want you inside me now!’

He gave her one last languid lick before sliding up her body, vanishing his pants and thrusting straight into her in one stroke. She wound her hands into his hair, pulling his lips to hers so that she could gorge herself on his mouth, and wrapped her legs around him. She could taste herself on his warm, firm lips but she didn’t care one whit. Her tongue found her way into his mouth to tangle with his own as he pounded into her with abandon.

Her orgasm was nearing, and he knew it, and wound one of his skilled hands down to stroke and manipulate the little bundle of nerves, sending her over the edge. His mouth swallowed her moan of pleasure, and his thrusts became erratic before he too lost himself within her. Hermione loosened her grip from his hair, running her hands down his back, stroking them up and down. Her legs were still wrapped around him, so he collapsed on her, spent, and she smiled. They were a sweaty, sticky mess, but she was very happy about it.

‘I should get off you, or I’ll squash you,’ he murmured, finally having caught his breath.

‘I don’t mind,’ she said, kissing the scars on his neck affectionately.

He chuckled. ‘I apologise for attacking you,’ he murmured, rolling onto his back with her still clinging to him, so that she ended up sprawled on top of him.

‘Hey!’ she protested, but she couldn’t deny that it was more comfortable.

He waved a hand over them, casting a cleansing charm to remove the evidence of their activities. She smiled and snuggled against him, but it grew chilly now that they were not engaged in congress. She shivered, causing him to laugh again.

‘Perhaps we should dress and go sit in front of the fire for a while?’ he suggested.

She nodded, and they slid from the bed. He put on his discarded trousers, and she found her wand on the floor and sent their nice clothes to the bathroom hamper to be laundered. She put on one of Severus’ white button-up shirts, and they adjourned to the sitting room where he stoked the fire once more, building it back up for them. While she got comfortable on the couch, he disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes, returning with two mugs of tea. As Severus joined her on the couch, Hermione gratefully accepted the warm beverage he offered.

They sat in silence for a short while, and Hermione thought about what had transpired in the last sixty minutes. He loved her. He had said it to her. So she had to believe him – right? And Severus was a man who was careful with his words, whether to cut someone down, or lift them up.

‘Severus?’ she said, breaking the silence.

‘Yes, love?’ he said, causing her eyes to snap up to his face in surprise at the affectionate address.

‘What about Lily?’ she asked, her words almost catching in her throat.

His jaw tensed but for a moment, and he took a deep breath before saying ‘ _Accio_ Memory Vial!’ and something shot out of the bedroom and landed in his hand. He held it out to her, and her eyes widened when she recognised what it was. The vial she had given Harry to capture his dying memories sat in his open palm. The translucent silver-blue swirled within, and stared in wonder before taking the proffered glass container.

‘I don’t understand,’ she said quietly, shaking her head, ‘Why didn’t you take back the memories?’

He cleared his throat, swallowing audibly before he spoke. ‘The day you brought these memories back to me was the day I knew that they were just that – memories of a time past. I didn’t need them anymore – they did not sustain me; my duty to the Potters was done. I had repaid my debt to them by helping to keep Lily’s son alive,’ he answered. ‘I didn’t need the memories because I am not so sure I was even in love with Lily by the end – I just needed it to drive me to do what needed to be done. I think that was the day I really knew that I had come to love you, Hermione.’

Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt her throat thicken with emotion. ‘That long?’

He nodded. ‘You have spent the past few months trying to convince me that I am worthy of a second chance at life, and perhaps my first to truly love and be loved. I did love Lily once, but now that time in my life is over, and I want this new life with you.’

She rolled the glass vial in her hand, passing it back to him before shifting so that she was snuggled as close to him as she could get. ‘I want this life with you too,’ she said, leaning over to kiss him sweetly.

And she saw him smile the most genuine smile she had ever seen grace his lips, and it warmed her heart to know that she had put it there.

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To be continued.

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A/N – I hope you loved this little instalment! Big love to GeekLoveFan for being such a great beta! x


	15. Harassment

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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The scratch of quill against parchment rang out through the otherwise silent room, both occupants being asleep as they were.

Hermione looked up from her writing ~~,~~ and sighed. It had been a very long morning, and her eyes were tired from the hours of writing up patient charts. She had been on this rotation for the three weeks since Halloween, and while she was certainly one for planning, charting, and writing, she did miss a little more of the hands-on work she was used to. She placed the chart back into its slot at the end of the patient’s bed, and walked over to the second bed, picking up that chart, reading it over, checking the medications they were on, and made a few adjustments.

She left the room then, and moved on to the nurse’s station, picking up a pile of charts she was supposed to return to patient rooms on her rounds.

She wandered listlessly through the halls, wandering from room to room, writing notes in charts and placing them on the end of patient beds. Hermione was not so sure that she had been enjoying her apprenticeship as of late. She rather felt like she was going through the motions at St. Mungo’s and she gained more joy from her time spent on the weekends seeing her friends, spending time with Severus, or brewing in the lab downstairs at Spinner’s End. She longed for her time over the summer when she was helping Poppy rebuild the infirmary at Hogwarts.

Though she did think she had gained some knowledge and experience at the hospital, she found a lot of the work fairly pedestrian. She knew that a lot of what she was doing was a rite of passage, and all of the apprentices were put through the tedious chores, the boring tasks, and a lot of the grunt work. She imagined in her second year it was likely to be different, but she also thought that a lot of her displeasure was due to having no defined social group within the Hospital. She had grown close with the Healer she had been assigned to that month – Penelope Clearwater in fact.

Penelope had been three years above her at Hogwarts, and had been a fully qualified Healer for a little over a year. She was sympathetic to Hermione, kind, funny, and relatable. A lot of the other Healers were from a different generation, so it had been a blessing for her to finally be working with someone who had been at Hogwarts while their childhoods had been ripped from them all. Penny had avoided a lot of the drama, being a Ravenclaw, but she was still subject to many of the strange and horrible goings-on at Hogwarts.

‘Finished with rounds yet, Hermione?’ she heard a voice say, startling her from her runaway thoughts.

Hermione looked up and smiled at Penny, who was lounging against the nurse’s station with a stack of clipboards of her own. ‘Finally,’ she answered with a smile.

‘You look like you could use a cuppa,’ Penny said with a grin, placing her clipboards down in her in-tray and gesturing towards the staff break room. ‘Let’s go sit and have some coffee.’

She smiled gratefully at her, following her into the staff area. The hospital supplied coffee and tea things for all of the staff, so Penny set about filling a French press with some ground coffee and hot water, waiting the prerequisite few minutes before slowly pressing down on the plunger. Hermione sat at one of the tables and watched as the woman meticulously went about making the beverages for them. Soon they were both at the table with two mugs of black coffee, and Hermione sat with her cold hands wrapped around the mug of warmth, staring silently into the dark rich brown liquid.

‘You seem to be off with the fairies today,’ Penny said quietly.

Hermione looked up at her with a sheepish grin before taking a sip of her coffee. ‘I’ll admit I am a little distracted,’ she answered. ‘I just haven’t been sleeping very well.’

It was true. Her sleep had been erratic of late, but she refused to medicate because she had no wish to develop a dependency on Dreamless Sleep or something similar. It was one thing to be given it medically to induce a short coma for a patient recovery, but quite another to be taking it to sleep. Hermione imagined her lack of sleep might have also had the unfortunate side-effect of making her a little more irritable as well.

‘You look like you have a lot on your mind as well,’ Penny said, trying to draw more information out of her. ‘I am here for you if you need to talk. That’s why they pair us off – so that we can be your support network while you are being put through your paces. And I’ve always admired you. I am rather hoping you’ve come ‘round to viewing me as your friend.’

Hermione gave her a reassuring smile. ‘Of course, I feel as though we have become friends as well,’ she replied. ‘I think all of this is just not as I expected it to be. I’m used to working hard and receiving as much back from something as I put into it. I guess this is just what it’s like to be a normal adult – I am just struggling to go from being on the run and constantly having to look over my shoulder, to this quieter life.’

Penny nodded in understanding. ‘I understand where you are coming from, but my experience was a little different to yours I suppose. When I left Hogwarts, I was finished - there was no turning back for me. Cedric Diggory being murdered in my seventh year was such a blow – it made me want to run scared from there and never turn back. Having such a normal job to go to was like a balm that I didn’t even realise I needed at the time.’

Hermione chuckled. ‘I know they say that houses don’t matter, but all of the fallout from that compelled me to throw myself at it like it was a problem that needed to be solved,’ she said staring down at her coffee. ‘Being Harry Potter’s friend has never been easy, or boring.’

‘I think that is going to be a major hurdle that you face for a while longer,’ Penny pointed out gently. ‘Because you are his friend, people are always going to talk and sometimes they are going to judge you without even waiting around to hear what you have to say. By the time it ends, you are going to have developed a very thick skin, Hermione.’

‘And what makes you think I won’t just quit and disappear?’

Penny laughed softly then, taking a swig of her coffee. ‘I watched you for four years at Hogwarts, Hermione,’ she said after a moment’s thought. ‘You are as stubborn as they come. I have no doubt you can handle what this place has to throw at you.’

Hermione smiled at the woman across from her. Penny was a very smart, pretty, and kind woman – the kind of attractive she had always wished she was. She remembered being very jealous of Penny Clearwater when she first met her at Hogwarts. It wasn’t until their second year that Hermione had become acquainted with her as one of the Prefects. At the time they were not aware that she was Percy Weasley’s secret girlfriend. She had walked out in front of the Ravenclaw students, leading them from the Hall and back to the dorms. Hermione could see a lot of the same self-assured young girl who had been a school leader – her golden hair formed soft, manageable curls that Hermione wished she could achieve with her own crazy hair. She was fair with blue eyes and looked almost angelic.

‘I think that despite what everyone seems to think, I am not a natural at many things – I had to work very hard at Hogwarts. There was so much to learn, and while I have always been naturally very curious, I am not some prodigy of learning who never had to lift a finger. This has been very hard for me – I have to plan and study and try to fit in some semblance of a personal life around this just like everyone else in this damn place.’

Penny smiled at her sympathetically. ‘I understand, Hermione,’ she said, reaching a hand over to cover hers on the table, giving it a squeeze. ‘I think people are just easy to judge, but if you give them a chance, and a little more time, I think they will learn to know you better. I know you have an excellent work ethic.’

Hermione felt comforted by her words. She took another sip of the hot coffee, and processed the conversation. It was nice to know someone else understood that she was not a perfect student – that it was work for her. Penny’s chair scraped against the linoleum floor as she stood from the table, placing a comforting hand on Hermione’s shoulder.

‘I’ve got to get back to work, but you finish your coffee and take a break,’ Penny told her seriously. ‘I’ll come find you later so we can go up to the burns ward and do some spot checks up there this afternoon.’

Hermione smiled gratefully. ‘Thank you,’ she said, and just like that she was alone in the meal room.

She spotted a chair over by the window and decided to relocate, perching on the chair with her coffee and looking out the window. Penny had given her a lot to think about. She knew she was probably being a little entitled thinking that people weren’t giving her a fair shot. She probably could try to invite herself along to more social gatherings, but she honestly barely had time for her friends and trying to find time to spend with Severus. She also did try to prioritise time spent with him due to their relationship still being somewhat new despite their admissions of love.

She flushed a little, looking down at the mug in her hands. Severus Snape was in love with her. It was a heady feeling, being the one who held his heart in her hands. And she intended to safeguard it well, and help it heal after years of neglect. She took a sip of her coffee, and thought it was just about time for her to get back to work when she noticed a shadow fall across her. She looked up in surprise, having not heard anyone enter the room during her musings, to see that Healer Barnaby was standing over her. She wasn’t sure why, but she immediately felt tense.

‘Hermione,’ he greeted, using her given name in a familiar way that she wasn’t so sure she was comfortable with.

‘Healer Barnaby,’ she greeted politely with a nod, not taking her eyes off him.

‘May I join you?’ he asked, gesturing to the chair across from her.

‘I was actually just about to go back to work –‘ she began, moving to stand.

He put a hand on her shoulder to still her, and she felt a cold shiver of displeasure run down her spine. Barnaby really gave her the creeps sometimes. ‘I’m sure you won’t be missed if you stay for a little longer,’ he said smoothly.

She clenched her jaw involuntarily. ‘Of course, sir,’ she said, staying put but shaking his hand off her shoulder.

He seemed unaffected by her clipped tone of voice and sat down in the other chair, crossing his legs and staring at her unblinking. ‘You’ve been here now how long, Hermione?’ he asked.

‘Just shy of three months, sir,’ she answered, keeping her tone and expression neutral.

‘Call me Ivan,’ he said, leaning forward in the chair towards her. ‘I heard through the grapevine that you’re seeing Severus Snape.’

She frowned a little. Her private life was none of his business, and she was starting to become agitated by his overly familiar behaviour. ‘I am,’ she replied, not giving him any ammunition.

‘So you like older men, hey?’ he said with a slimy smile. ‘Figures a swotty little thing like you would go for older blokes.’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Granger,’ he said, holding his hands up. ‘I was just thinking seeing as you don’t mind an older bloke, you might want to have a go- ~~a~~ round with someone a bit better looking than that ugly old toss.’

Hermione’s face became hot, and she knew she would be red. She couldn’t believe the gall of the man sitting across from her looking smug like he was offering her some sort of prize. _He_ thought that _she_ would be willing to sleep with him just because she was in a relationship with Severus. The absolute gall. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

‘I’m sure I just misheard you, _Healer_ Barnaby,’ she said coldly. ‘You couldn’t possibly believe that you would be a more suitable alternative to one of the bravest men in the wizarding world? Where were you during the final battle when we were all fighting for our lives against Voldemort?’

Barnaby flinched a little at the mention of Voldemort’s name, but he clearly decided he was going to persist. ‘You’d be lucky to be seen with me, Hermione,’ he said, putting his hand on her knee. ‘Come now. Don’t you want to know what it’s like to be with a real man? Or is this some sort of kink thing for you? Hot for teacher, are we?’

She felt bile rise in her throat but swallowed it down, her eyes flashing in anger. She jerked her leg out from under his hand and stood, almost knocking over the chair she was seated in. ‘Do not presume to touch me,’ she snapped, dropping all pretence of civility. ‘You are not even half the man that Severus Snape is. And I am done with this conversation. Lay a hand on me again, and I’ll have it off. Good day.’

‘You’re going to regret passing on me,’ Barnaby said, his voice suddenly loaded with anger. ‘Mark my words, I will have you one way or another, Granger.’

She turned at the door to look at him, disgusted. ‘Keep dreaming,’ she spat, ripping the door open and walking out of the meal room.

She could feel her heartrate was elevated and her body trembled with rage, so she took long, deep breaths to calm herself, shutting the door quietly behind her. She had no wish to cause a scene in the middle of her workplace. Barnaby had crossed the line, and she wasn’t sure if there was anything she would be able to do about it. Once the trembling ceased, she felt sick to her stomach, recalling the conversation. She looked at the mug still in her hand. There was no way she would be able to drink coffee now.

She went to the ladies’ bathroom and rinsed the mug, pausing to press a little cold water to her cheeks and the back of her neck. She was still flushed from the altercation. How on earth had it even happened? She hadn’t spoken to the man in weeks, successfully managing to avoid him for the most part. And then suddenly he shows up out of nowhere to proposition her after finding out she was seeing Severus. What was all that about?

Hermione closed her eyes and tried to pull herself together. She knew she likely looked a mess now. She could still feel his slimy hand on her knee, and it sent uncomfortable chills up her spine. She needed to get out of there. She steeled herself and left the bathroom, leaving the mug at the nurse’s station and immediately going on the hunt to find Penny. She fortunately didn’t have to search for too long, finding her waiting for the elevator.

‘Hermione, you look-‘ Penny began. ‘What’s wrong?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘I’m just not feeling very well suddenly,’ she lied. ‘I will have to make up the time another day if that’s okay with you?’

‘Of course,’ Penny said, concern furrowing her brow. ‘Are you sure there isn’t something I can do for you?’

‘No,’ she answered finality in her tone. ‘I have probably just been overdoing it. A little rest should help sort me out.’

The blonde woman still didn’t look convinced, but relented. ‘Call me at any time no matter what it is,’ she insisted. ‘Go home and take care of yourself.’

Hermione nodded and turned on her heal, making a hasty retreat to the locker room. She hung her robes in her locker, grabbed her beaded bag, and went to the Apparation point. She reappeared in the park near to Grimmauld Place. She didn’t want to be alone, but Severus would still be in classes teaching that day, and she was reluctant to disturb him with this. She could hear the printing press working away up the stairs when she entered the house. She made her way up, pausing to see if Harry was in the printing room, but when she saw it was one of his employees, she made her way to his office, pausing in the doorway to knock.

Harry looked up from his work at her knock, and his expression was immediately concerned. ‘Hermione, what brings you here this afternoon?’ he asked. ‘Are you alright?’

She shook her head minutely, walking into the room and closing the door behind her. She plopped into the chair across from her friend and looked down at the hands in her lap. She was overwhelmed. Hot tears began falling from her eyes, coming fast and heavy. She was at her wits end and Barnaby’s attempt at trying to cajole her into sleeping with him that afternoon was the straw that broke the metaphorical camel’s back. She felt Harry ward and lock the door and heard his chair scrape as he stood, and then footsteps before he was beside her and put his arms around her in comfort. She sobbed harder then, her body trembling from all of her bottled emotions bubbling over. He stroked her hair, holding her tightly and just letting her cry. After ten minutes or so of violent sobbing, she managed to pull herself together, and he passed her a clean handkerchief. She mopped up the tears and blew her nose, trying to stem the flow.

Harry released her from his hold and summoned his chair from the other side of the desk so that he could sit directly in front of her.

‘What happened?’ he asked seriously.

She sat in the chair, staring at a point just beyond his head. ‘I’m cracking,’ she whispered, turning her eyes back to his. ‘I just lost it and left work today.’

‘What happened at work?’ he asked, reaching his hand over and grasping one of hers.

‘I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by my apprenticeship,’ she answered quietly. ‘I’ve been talking to Penny Clearwater about it – she’s my supervisor this month, and she said it can be quite tough for everyone the first year. It’s nothing like school, which I tried to prepare myself for, but there is just so much I don’t enjoy about working at St. Mungo’s.’

Harry gave her hand a squeeze. ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself, Hermione,’ he said gently. ‘You have been carrying me and Ron around for years, all the burdens that came with being my friend and taking no breaks was going to catch up to you. It caught up to me at the beginning of summer. Before I came to stay with you and Severus, I was a wreck. I spent most of my time sleeping and when the Weasleys were staying here, I was miserable. I love them dearly, but being around all of the depression and mourning coupled with the war – it was too much. I shut down. I’m so lucky I had you and Severus to kick my arse into gear.’

Hermione looked at him, surprised. ‘I didn’t know,’ she said, frowning. How had she not noticed?

Harry shook his head. ‘You aren’t the only one capable of keeping a secret, and it was hardly pleasant dinner conversation.’

She looked down at their joined hands and felt sad. She had been so wrapped up in her own world – healing Severus, finding her parents, fixing Hogwarts. Hermione had managed to put everything ahead of worrying about Harry. What a terrible and selfish friend she had been to him.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘I wish I had paid better attention.’

Harry leaned forward and hugged her awkwardly. ‘Don’t apologise,’ he said seriously. ‘I didn’t ask for help – I just wanted to wallow at the time.’

‘I’m feeling very sorry for myself right this moment,’ she said, annoyed with herself.

‘Why do I get the feeling there is more to it than just struggling with the job?’ Harry asked, sceptical.

Hermione sighed heavily. ‘I had another altercation with the twat Healer.’

Harry’s frown deepened. ‘What actually happened today?’

‘He propositioned me, rather rudely actually. He made several snide comments about Severus, and also indicated that I might enjoy having sex with him because he is a bit older as well, and then said I was “hot for teacher” which was really just the cherry on top,’ she said, the words filling her mouth with bitterness.

Harry’s mouth was agape. ‘How is this prat getting away with that kind of sexual harassment in the workplace?’

‘The higher-ups don’t really pay much mind to the claims of young female apprentices,’ she spat, angry. ‘I was warned by the other girls that he was a flirt, but I have no idea if he has harassed any of them to the extent he has me. I think he gets away with it because no one feels comfortable going to upper management and we all just try to find a way to bear it.’

‘There is so much corruption and gender disparity amongst magical folk, I’ve found,’ Harry said. ‘I swear Muggles are slightly more progressive as far as that is concerned.’

Hermione nodded in agreement. ‘I certainly do not feel comfortable coming forward with this information, which is so frustrating. I want to have a career! I want to be taken seriously. I don’t want to constantly be that girl who became even more of an outcast at work for reporting one of her superiors for sexual harassment and got the sack for stirring up drama.’

‘I hate that you have to play games to make your life at work more bearable.’

‘So do I,’ she said with a heavy sigh.

‘Have you told Severus?’

She shook her head. ‘I came straight here. Severus is teaching, Harry. I can’t just interrupt his classes every time I have a problem I can’t solve. I just didn’t want to be alone, and I didn’t want to cause an emotional scene at work.’

‘He wouldn’t mind,’ Harry insisted. ‘That man worships the ground you walk on.’

Hermione chuckled at that, her first real moment of happiness for the day. ‘I rather hope he doesn’t. I don’t want to be the next master he serves – I want us to be equals.

‘If anyone could go head-to-head with Severus, it’s you, Hermione.’

She shrugged, and they sat in silence for a moment before she said, ‘I just hate not feeling in control of my future, you know?’

‘Believe it or not, I do have some experience with feeling that way,’ Harry said with a laugh.

‘Oh Harry, I’m so insensitive. I’m sorry,’ she said, flushing a little at her faux pas. ‘I will probably tell Severus the next time I see him about what happened. It’s not so far away – I’ll be staying at Hogwarts with him.’

Harry smirked. ‘Well, well, well. Staying with a man out of wedlock!’ he teased.

She released his hand and swatted his arm. ‘Prat.’

‘But a loveable one,’ he said.

‘That you are,’ she replied, standing from her seat and leaning over to give her friend a hug. ‘Thank you for listening to me whine about my problems. Thank you for always being on my side.’

‘Always.’

Hermione pulled back and stretched out her shoulder. ‘I had better head home,’ she said. ‘I feel like I need a bath and to do something to distract myself for a while.’

Harry stood, and saw her downstairs to the sitting room. With one last hug, she tossed some Floo powder into the fireplace and spoke ‘Spinner’s End’ before whirling away. She landed in the sitting room at home with the ease of practice, and headed up the stairs to the bathroom. She immediately turned the faucets, finding the right temperature and then stripped out of her clothes, sending them into the laundry hamper.

Once the tub was nearing full, she added a few bath salts and some oils, and then stepped in and sank down into the water. She sighed deeply, the warmth of the water melting away the tension in her muscles and the bone-deep weariness set upon her that day. She wasn’t looking forward to going back to work the next day. She would go though, and face her problems head on. Perhaps she would make a little more effort to be friendly with some of the other apprentices so they could commiserate together.

Hermione closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the edge of the tub. She could deal with it all tomorrow.

\--

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone keeping up with the story! I appreciate every single read, like, and review. As always, my deepest gratitude to GeekLoveFan for being such a wonderful beta! x


	16. Sentimental

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

  


\--

  


There was a crackle as the fireplace came to life, green flames licking the front perimeter. Hermione stepped out from the flames, dusting off the knee of her pants.

  


She smiled, looking around Severus’s sitting room, before properly lighting and stoking the fireplace, piling a few more logs on. She was so glad her week was over at work. She was exhausted. She had managed to make a little headway with trying to be more sociable outside of work with the other apprentices and had even gone to the Leaky Cauldron with a small group of them after work that past Wednesday. It was making the tedious tasks at work more bearable, having others to complain about them with.

  


As she sat down on the lounge, dropping her beaded purse on the coffee table, Hermione noticed that there was a small difference in the room since the last time she had been there. Despite proclaiming she was going to spend more time at Hogwarts with him, their schedules had not lined up well and it had been several weeks since she had last been able to stay at the castle with him. And apparently during that time since she had last been with him, he had added to the room a photo frame that rested above the mantle of the fireplace.

  


Inside the simple frame was a photo of the two of them that must have been taken while they were at the Halloween feast. The photo was magical, so in the picture the two of them were holding one another very close and swaying to the music. She felt her throat thicken with emotion, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She got up, picking up the photo and taking it back to the couch to look at it more closely, noting that the Hermione in the photo was resting her head on her lover’s shoulder, and then would look up at him, love shining in her eyes. Those two people in the picture only had eyes for each other.

  


‘Minerva gave me that photo a couple of weeks ago,’ she heard Severus say from behind her, his velvety smooth voice washing over her and wrapping around her like a favourite blanket.

  


She turned her head sharply to look at him, surprised that he had managed to get the jump on her. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she whispered, a singular tear sliding down her cheek.

  


He walked over to her, sweeping his teaching robes aside so he could sit on the couch beside her, lifting his hand to cup her cheek and swiping the tear away with his thumb. ‘I’m not one for keeping sentimental or nostalgic trinkets,’ he said, his hand moving to stroke the hair at the back of her neck.

  


‘I’m glad you kept it,’ she said, feeling a little breathless from the mere touch of his skin to her own.

  


‘I am glad that it pleases you,’ he murmured softly, before leaning in and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss of longing.

  


His other hand came up to cup her cheek, as he languidly explored her mouth, gently teasing out her desire in the way only he knew how. When they parted lips, his mouth blazed a trail down her neck, his long nose nuzzling behind her ear, his breath warming her previously cold flesh. Her hands found their way to his shoulders and began pushing on his robes, trying to ease the fabric down his arms. He pulled back and assisted her with the removal, tossing the robes over the back of the couch before resuming his mission of suckling his way from her collarbone down the edge of her blouse where her blouse exposed very little flesh.

  


Hermione loved this. They crackled to life whenever they were near one another. It was like they were both cardboard cut-outs that wandered around day-to-day, but when they were together became flesh and blood. She let a soft moan escape her lips as he suckled her collarbone, and before too long his fingers were impatiently plucking open the buttons of her blouse. He growled softly when he saw that the clasp of her bra snapped in front, and he deftly flicked it open, pushing aside the cups that held her milky flesh.

  


His mouth was immediately on them, kissing, nuzzling, suckling, and gently pinching and rolling her nipples. He swept his clever tongue along the bottom of one of her breasts, discovering an obscure erogenous zone she didn’t even realise she had. She whimpered softly, her hands finding their way into his silken strands as he feasted on her breasts like a starving man. She was so distracted by his lips and tongue that she hadn’t noticed his hand find its way to the hidden zip of her trousers, and he soon had it down, and pulled back from her so he could peel them off her. She had taken to wearing long grey dress pants to work as the weather had become bitterly cold, and realised this was the first time he would have seen her in them.

  


He pulled off her boots and tossed them aside, and she helped shimmy the pants the rest of the way off. The absence of her trousers made her realise just how wet her knickers were as a chill caught her. He smirked when he saw the state she was in, and soon he was on her again, his mouth tasting hers once more. His hand snaked its way into her knickers, and those long, wicked fingers stroked through her wetness, teasingly playing her little bundle of nerves. She felt her hips involuntarily flex up into his touch, and he chuckled into her mouth.

  


‘Impatient hussy,’ he said as he pulled his lips from her, removing his hands from her knickers and holding his damp fingers up for her to see.

  


She leaned forward then and grasped his hand, before sliding her warm lips over them, sucking her own essence from them. She saw his eyes darken even further with lust, his nostrils flaring slightly. She smiled, pulling his digits from her mouth with an audible pop. He waved his hand over their bodies, casting a charm that caused all of their clothing to slide off their bodies and to the floor. Her eyes widened at that little bit of spell work and his grin was almost feral.

  


‘I don’t think I can wait a moment longer for you, Hermione,’ he said, his voice a little strained.

  


‘Then don’t wait,’ she said, parting her legs to him and putting her hands on his slim hips. ‘Come into me.’

  


He grasped her hips and gently nudged her over and onto her knees, and she felt a thrill course through her. She could feel his hot, hard member pressing against her bottom as he pushed down on her back to lower her top half down onto the bed, so her arse was pushed up towards him. She felt strangely vulnerable, but also a little excited. He slid the tip of his cock between her drenched folds, and with one quick thrust, he was inside her.

  


His eyes rolled back into his head, and soon he was surging forward further, his thrust hard and measured. She could feel his hips snapping against her bottom with each thrust, but the angle was fantastic, and his cock was hitting a point within her that was making it hard to see, much less concentrate. She felt the first little flutterings of her impending orgasm, and knew that Severus could feel it too.

  


He reached one of his hands down to firmly press little circles around her clit, playing her as skilfully as he always did. Her body bowed as she tipped over the edge, her insides clamping down on him, milking along his length, trying to draw his own orgasm from him. He picked up his pace then, abandoning restraint and grasping her hips so that he was pulling her into his thrusts, flesh slapping against flesh erratically before he finally came with a shout, his hot seed spilling within her.

  


It took a few moments for them to come down off their high, and he slid out of her, pushing himself backwards to sit on the couch as he caught his breath. She felt a smile spread across her lips as she gazed back at her lover. Here was a man with so much passion, who had never been appreciated before. And he had chosen her. She felt giddy – drunk on the utter joy of having such a man desire her as he did. He looked over at her then, casting a quick cleansing charm over them, before grabbing her hand and yanking her towards him. She giggled as she fell onto his naked lap, winding her arms around his neck.

  


‘I have missed you,’ he murmured, pressing a kiss to her dishevelled curls.

  


She clung to him, nuzzling her face against the crook of his neck. ‘Being without you for so long is exquisite torture,’ she replied.

  


They sat together like that for a while, absorbing warmth from one another and the fireplace. Soon though, the warmth of their post-orgasmic glow began to dissipate, and they chill of the dungeons set upon them. Severus led them to the bathroom, summoning their clothes from the other room and depositing them in the hamper. He turned on the shower faucets, and they bathed, huddling together under the spray to ward off the cold.

  


As he lathered himself with the sandalwood and rosemary gel soap he always used, she rinsed the suds from her shampoo.

  


‘I wish this bathroom had a tub,’ she said, pouting.

  


He leaned in and swiftly kissed her protruding bottom lip. ‘I can ask Minerva if she would be willing to add on such a feature,’ he offered.

  


She beamed at him. ‘Yes please,’ she replied, running a heavy conditioner through her wet curls.

  


‘Tell me about your week,’ he entreated, pushing his wet hair back from his face before pouring out a little shower gel, and soaping up her back, his fingers skimming around her shoulders and down to her bottom which he playfully gave a squeeze.

  


She chuckled at his antics, soaping her own front. ‘The hospital is utter tedium, but I have been making efforts to spend time socially with the other apprentices and they are warming to me,’ she answered. ‘Tell me about yours.’

  


‘Dealing with the endless teenaged hormones trumps your tedious workplace, I’m afraid,’ he murmured as he rinsed himself off and stepped out of the shower so that he could dry off. ‘I’ll have to apologise in advance, but I assigned two students detention for tomorrow afternoon for three hours and I will have to observe them as they clean out the barrels that contained the eyes of newt and frog spawn.’

  


Hermione laughed as she rinsed the conditioner from her hair. ‘It’s nice to know some things haven’t changed,’ she mused, squeezing the excess water from her hair and shutting off the faucet.

  


He held out a large bath towel for her, and wrapped it around her, hugging her to his tall frame snuggly and dipping his head for another quick kiss. She enjoyed his affectionate behaviour towards her – whenever they were together like this, he always had to be near to her, or casually touching her, kissing her lips, cheeks, or neck. And she returned the affection – she was the touchy sort, so it came naturally to her—stroking his hair, holding his lovely hands that she had always admired, or snuggling her face into his neck to breathe him in. It felt right.

  


They left the bathroom and dressed – she wore jeans and a sweater, and he donned a clean set of his normal teaching attire and his robes. She, too, pulled a simple robe over her casual clothes, a deep red that was almost black. Severus looked at her appreciatively, coming over to stroke a long finger over the fabric clinging to her shoulder.

  


‘This is new,’ he remarked.

  


She blushed and nodded. ‘I might have gone to Diagon Alley upset one day and took my anger out on my bank account a little.’

  


He clicked his tongue at her teasingly. ‘Tutt-tutt, Miss Granger,’ he chided gently. ‘Who would have ever thought my little bookworm was afflicted with vanity and such frivolous spending?’

  


Her blush deepened, and she swatted at his hand. ‘Hush, you,’ she said, pouting a little once more. ‘I already feel guilty about it.’

  


Severus laughed at her then, his voice a deep, melodious rumble. ‘Hermione, I am teasing you,’ he said, a smile curving his lips making him appear younger. ‘I know you are not normally one to spend money on clothes. I would think no less of you if you did. We are both quite sensible people with money, so it is not unreasonable to want to dress well.’

  


She released the breath she had been holding as she prepared to defend herself, deflating as he spoke. ‘I still feel a bit silly,’ she mumbled, staring down at her socked feet.

  


He placed two fingers under her chin and lifted it so he could look into her eyes. ‘You look lovely,’ he said quietly, his lips whispering over hers, grazing the end of her nose, and pressing gently against her forehead.

  


She grasped one of his hands, bringing his fingers to her lips and kissing them. They released one another and donned shoes, leaving his chambers and heading up and out of the dungeons to have dinner in the Great Hall. She always sat at the head table with him when she was there for the weekend. At first it had been daunting and strange, but she had come to love catching up with and chatting with her old teachers and friends. Severus was always seated with Minerva on his other side, and Poppy sat directly to her left.

  


As her eyes scanned the hall, she caught the eye of Ginny Weasley, who waved at her with a broad smile on her face. She grinned and nodded, not wanting to draw attention to herself by waving. She was more comfortable, but that still didn’t mean she wanted all of the student body gawking at her like they had during first meal up there the night after the Halloween feast. Dinner appeared, and she piled a healthy helping of buttered beans with stuffing and roasted chicken onto her plate. She had worked up quite the appetite.

  


‘How are your studies going, Hermione?’ Poppy asked as they ate.

  


Hermione paused in her chewing as she tried to think of the right thing to say. She swallowed her mouthful. ‘It’s fairly unchallenging at the moment,’ she answered, trying to be diplomatic. ‘I think a lot of the first year of an apprenticeship involves being able to take instruction, and doing all of the things the qualified Healers and nurses don’t want to do themselves.’

  


Poppy snorted. ‘Still hazing the apprentices, eh?’

  


‘More or less,’ Hermione replied. ‘I imagine it’s what weeds out those who have the will to continue from those who aren’t really suited to the job.’

  


‘To some extent, yes,’ Poppy agreed.

  


‘I’ve been quite lucky of late,’ Hermione said. ‘I just finished a rotation with Penny Clearwater as my supervisor, and we have become quite friendly. It was nice to have someone familiar there.’

  


‘Penny was a fantastic student of healing – a natural, not unlike yourself, Hermione.’

  


‘Not a bad hand at potions, either,’ she heard Severus add beside her.

  


Hermione smiled. ‘She has been very kind to me,’ she said. ‘It has made some of the more unpleasant things about working there seem like a pale shadow. How has it been in the hospital wing?’

  


Poppy sighed. ‘It is a very busy time of the year – lots of students with the flu or pox. It’s normally this bad – everyone huddles together for warmth and spends more time indoors, so germs have a chance to jump from person to person much more easily,’ she answered. ‘Severus has been brewing the potions practically ‘round the clock to keep up with demand.’

  


Hermione glanced at her lover. Now that she had a chance to observe him properly, he was looking a little more tired than usual. There was no real difference save for the slightly darker circles beneath his eyes. She wasn’t really surprised she had missed them earlier – the low light the fireplace threw around the room, and their frantic coupling left little time to linger on how dark his under-eye circles were.

  


‘I can brew some more tomorrow,’ she offered. ‘Severus is supervising a detention, so I will head to the lab and brew more Pepper-up and whatever else you need.’

  


His eyes locked onto hers then. ‘Hermione, you are not here to work,’ he said quietly.

  


‘I _want_ to help,’ she insisted. ‘Besides, I will be bored while you are busy torturing your students. It’s the least I can do to distract myself.’

  


Poppy chuckled at both of them. ‘You two are the limit.’

  


‘Mind your business, Poppy,’ Severus said, returning his focus to the meal in front of him.

  


‘Oh don’t be such a sourpuss, Severus,’ Poppy chided with a smile. ‘I’ve known you since you were eleven years old. Your sharp tongue has no weight with me.’

  


Hermione smirked. There were very few people who could get away with being so casual with him in that way, and she rather thought that they were surrounding him. Poppy and Minerva both mothered him and forced him to take care of himself in her absence, which she was grateful for – she would worry about him far more if she didn’t know how determined the Headmistress could be.

The rest of dinner went past in quickly, the hall filled with loud chatter, cutlery clashing on plates, and the sound made Hermione feel nostalgic. At first it had filled her with sadness, and she mourned for her lost youth. But she was reminded that if things had not gone the way they had, she might never had found Severus, and were she given a chance to go back in time and do it over knowing what she did now, she wouldn’t change a single thing.

  


As dinner drew to a close, she sat back in her chair, patting her stomach, full of food and pleasant dinner conversation.

  


‘I have to round up my Slytherin’s following this before I retire for the night,’ Severus told her. ‘Why don’t you go and spend a little time with your friends?’

  


She smiled. ‘I think I just might,’ she replied.

  


And so they parted, Severus walking through the back staff door and heading for the Dungeons, and Hermione walking down from the head table to where she could see Ginny and Neville holding hands and chatting by the doors to the Great Hall.

  


‘Hello there, you two,’ she greeted.

  


‘Hermione!’ Ginny exclaimed cheerfully, folding her into a tight hug. ‘I didn’t know you were going to be here with the Professor this weekend.’

  


‘It’s been hard trying to get away to visit if I’m honest,’ Hermione replied.

  


‘Severus always looks a lot more calm when he has seen you,’ Neville observed. ‘He is softer around you – like to smooth over all his rough edges. He’s still a rather serious chap though, mind. Rather gruff in the mornings before his coffee too.’

  


Hermione snickered at that – Severus was not a morning person. ‘We have that in common.’

  


‘How has everything been?’ Ginny asked.

  


‘St. Mungo’s is testing my last nerve,’ Hermione said, clasping her hands together in front of her.

  


‘Are you still having trouble with… you know?’ the younger woman asked.

  


Hermione had confided a little bit of her situation with Barnaby in a letter to Ginny recently, seeking her advice. ‘I haven’t seen him since the last altercation.’

  


‘Trouble?’ Neville piped up. ‘Is someone being difficult at work?’

  


‘Not at the moment, but whenever he does, he is a nasty piece of work,’ Hermione said with a frown. ‘I’m honestly not sure how he gets away with it. He is so blatant in his behaviour. I think there would probably be less people he hasn’t harassed at the hospital than those he has.’

  


‘This sounds serious, Hermione,’ Neville said, concern in his voice.

  


‘I know,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m dealing with it, really.’

  


‘I told her to cast a severing hex on his balls,’ Ginny said, and the three of them chuckled.

  


‘So crass,’ Hermione said when their laughter died out.

  


The three of them chatted companionably for a while longer before Hermione hugged them goodbye and left the two of them to spend some time together. She made her way back down to the Dungeons and into Severus’s quarters, shedding and hanging her robe in the wardrobe. He had made space in all of his drawers and the cupboard to put her clothes, so she didn’t need to keep dragging them from Spinner’s End. Every time she went back, they were laundered and pressed and folded neatly.

  


She put on her warm flannel pyjamas, shedding all pretence of trying to wear cute or skimpy sleep clothes – it was far too cold in the dungeons for impractical clothing. She donned socks and slippers, and was soon snuggled on the sofa in front of the fire, with a book, a throw blanket and a mug of tea. Just as she was getting settled, Severus walked in from the entry linked to his office. He smiled at her before disappearing into the bedroom to change himself. He returned wearing a long sleeved cotton shirt, his long sleep pants, and the slippers she had bought him and initially had to force on him.

  


He sat with her and picked up the mug of tea she had charmed to remain hot for him. ‘Excellent cuppa,’ he said after drinking a mouthful.

  


It was quite the domestic moment, the two of them in warm pyjamas, sipping tea on the couch in front of the fire, reading books and enjoying being near.

  


‘How were your little pet snakes?’ Hermione asked, teasingly.

  


He smirked. ‘They got a dressing down. Far too many complaints about cheek in classes with the other teachers,’ he explained. ‘I alluded to banning the Quidditch team from practicing for their matches for the next eight weeks, and that was enough to scare the little bastards into submission.’

  


She grinned. It didn’t matter that they were in his house – he would punish them even if it meant them losing a trophy when they were already ahead for the school’s Quidditch season. In the old days he would never had pulled something like this, but this was not the same man who had to treat his house with favour. This was the firm but fair professor that she loved.

  


‘That is quite the threat,’ she said.

  


‘I think I prefer to think of it as inspiration,’ he drawled.

  


It wasn’t long before their tea was drunk, and she had kicked off her slippers and her feet were resting in his lap. He was reading quietly, one of his hands gently tracing a finger up and down the side of a socked foot. She closed her eyes for a little while, simply enjoying the warmth, his languid touch, and the sound of pages turning as her lover enjoyed a book. 

  


‘Hermione?’ he asked, his voice low and soft.

  


‘Yes, love?’ she replied, letting her eyes drift open.

  


‘Is there something bothering you at work that you are not telling me about?’ he asked.

  


She froze, but nodded. ‘How did you figure it out?’

  


He sighed, putting down his book and pinching the bridge of his nose before letting his other hand drop to his lap, grasping her other foot gently. ‘I wasn’t sure earlier this evening, but at dinner with your conversation with Poppy, I managed to put two and two together.’

  


She bit her bottom lip, worrying it with her teeth. ‘I didn’t want to tell you, because I was concerned about your reaction,’ she admitted. ‘I thought if I told you, you’d probably end up in Azkaban for hexing someone seven ways to Sunday, and I just want to deal with it myself.’

  


The corner of his mouth quirked up. ‘You’re probably not wrong there,’ he said with a soft, dark chuckle.

  


‘Healer Barnaby made another unwanted advance… a couple of weeks ago actually,’ she told him. ‘He made some rather unflattering statements about you, and some rather insulting allusions about me, and he pawed my leg.’

  


Severus’s anger was palpable, his nostrils were slightly flared, and his eyes were thunderous. ‘He. Did. What?’

  


‘I made sure he knew that I was not interested, would never be interested, and removed myself from the situation fairly quickly, so he wasn’t really touching me for all that long thankfully.’

  


‘Hermione,’ Severus said, his voice containing a warning tone. ‘Why did you not come to me sooner with this?

  


‘I didn’t want to worry you,’ she said quietly, looking down at her hands. ‘It’s just something I feel I need to deal with myself, through the proper channels. If it happens again, I will be reporting him and submitting my memories as proof.’

  


‘You think that snivelling little scrote will do it again?’ he asked, livid.

  


‘People like him always do,’ she replied. ‘I am a game to him – he likes the chase, gets off on it. He thinks he will shame and harass me into giving in to him eventually. He is trying to wear me down.’

  


‘And what happens one day if he catches you unawares?’

  


‘I am a capable witch, Severus,’ she said, frowning in annoyance. ‘I have a not insignificant amount of experience with defending myself against attackers.’

  


His expression softened at her words. ‘I did not mean that you aren’t capable, my love,’ he said, gently rubbing a circle around her ankle with a long finger under the edge of her pants. ‘I just don’t want you to come to any harm – I worry about you.’

  


She pulled her feet from his lap, scrambling over to where he sat on the couch, crawling onto his lap and pulling the blanket around them both. Once snuggly in his arms with her arms around his neck, hugging herself to him tightly, she let out a shaky breath.

  


‘I won’t ever let him touch me again,’ she vowed.

  


‘Let me train with you a little this weekend,’ he said. ‘We can work on your silent casting and wandless magic. It will give me some peace of mind. If you won’t let me castrate him, then you can reassure me this way.’

  


She giggled, and nodded against his chest. ‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘I’ll practice with you.’

  


‘Good,’ he said, pressing his lips to her temple. ‘I will likely never say it to you enough, but I love you, Hermione.’

  


She tightened her arms around him. ‘I love you too,’ she said.

  


And they sat together that way for a while before adjourning to bed, falling asleep spooned together in the middle of the bed.

  


\--

  


To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone! I will be addressing the Barnaby situation more in later chapters – please be patient with me. Big love to GeekLoveFan for catching all of the Oxford commas I missed! x


	17. A Merry Christmas

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

The sky was clear blue, and the sun beat down hard on the white sand, heat shimmering over the rolling surface.

Hermione pushed her sunglasses back up her nose, adjusting her large sun hat a little as she stared out at the rolling waves. It had been many years since she had been at a sunny beach like this – all of the English beaches were rocky and so unlike those in the southern hemisphere. She couldn’t remember the last time that she actually _hadn’t_ had a white Christmas. She stretched her arms above her head, and closed the book she had opened.

Deciding that she’d had quite enough sun for that day, she packed her things into the tote bag she had taken to the beach with her, shucking the sand off her towel and folding it up. She buttoned the white shirt she had borrowed from Severus over her bikini top, dusting a little sand off her denim shorts before making her way off the beach and up towards the nearest footpath. She walked back up the hill towards her parents’ home in Bondi. They had settled in this beachy part of Sydney, so unlike where they had lived back in the UK.

But Hermione loved it – this place suited them. Both of her parents had gotten tanned, and they were generally a lot less uptight than they had been before.

She still had a lot of guilt over sending them away and locking away their memories. They constantly reassured her that they were not upset with her for trying to keep them safe. She wanted to believe them, she really did. But a part of her was still punishing herself for taking away their free will like that and uprooting their lives. Ever since finding out she was a witch, Hermione had felt like an incredible inconvenience to them – they never made her feel like it, but she knew that it had been challenging to be so different and have to come to terms with their daughter not having a conventional education and job.

She rounded the corner and walked up the path, entering the house and kicking off her sandals and handing her big beach hat on the hooks by the door.

‘I’m back!’ she hollered, walking through the living room and out to the kitchen where she could smell the delightful smells of Christmas dinner being made.

‘Hello, my darling,’ Jean said, slinging an arm around her in a hug and kissing her on the cheek. ‘Can you check the potatoes?’

Hermione went to the stove and saw a pot of potatoes bubbling away. She prodded one with a fork to see if it was cooked through enough, and removed it from the heat, switching off the hob. She saw a strainer already prepared in the sink, and poured all of it in, tossing the vegetables in the colander to rough them up a little. She loved her mother’s crispy rosemary potatoes, and she was so excited. She found a sheet pan, lined it, and poured the potatoes onto it, drizzling them with a healthy amount of oil and found her mother’s jar of rosemary sea salt flakes. Once they had all been coated with oil and salt, she pushed the pan into the waiting oven.

‘I am starving,’ she told Jean, sitting down at the kitchen table and plopping down her bag. ‘I can’t believe how sunny it still is this late in the afternoon.’

‘The further south you go, the longer the days are here in summer,’ her mother said with a wry smile. ‘I rather like it.’

‘Getting a little sun for the past couple of days has been a nice change of pace,’ Hermione agreed. ‘I almost never get outside this much back home.’

Jean joined her at the table with two mugs of tea, smiling fondly. ‘Tell me, how have things been going at home?’ she asked. ‘I won’t lie, I love living here so much, but I do miss the UK. Sometimes, I’m a little sorry your father and I didn’t really want to go back.’

Hermione felt the guilt begin to gnaw at her stomach again. ‘It’s the same, really—rainy, but when it doesn’t rain it’s overcast, and then there is all the snow,’ she replied. ‘I don’t really blame you for not coming back, but I do miss you both – so much.’

‘We miss you, too, my love,’ Jean said, reaching across the table to grasp her hand.

‘I have so many regrets,’ Hermione said quietly. ‘I feel as though I robbed you both.’

‘We have none,’ her mother said reassuringly. ‘Really, we don’t. And we hold no ill will towards you, I mean it. We love our life here and all of the friends we’ve made.’

Hermione looked down at their joined hands and gave Jean’s a squeeze.

‘I’ve been seeing someone,’ she said, a little anxious. She had yet to tell her parents about her relationship with Severus, worried about their reaction.

‘Why haven’t you told me sooner?’ Jean exclaimed, smiling.

‘It just never felt like the right time,’ she answered with a shrug. ‘We’ve been together for five months now, and I guess I just wanted to tell you in person. I’m quite serious about him.’

Her mother’s smile widened. ‘You’re in love with him then?’

Hermione’s eyes widened - her mother knew her far too well. ‘I am.’

‘Who is this man of yours?’ Jean asked, releasing her hand and taking a sip of her tea.

‘Well, this is where things might get complicated. We have known one another for several years, but never in the capacity of lovers or even friends until June…’

‘Spit it out, my darling. I won’t judge you.’

‘I just want to be sure you know nothing untoward ever happened before –‘ Hermione explained. ‘I’m in a relationship with Severus Snape.’

‘The gentleman who escorted you here to return our memories?’ Jean asked, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Hermione looked down at her mug and nodded. ‘The thing is, I wasn’t completely honest with you about his role in the magical community. He was my professor at Hogwarts, and a spy during the war. I am sure I’ve told you about the nasty Potions Master who used to berate and put me down in class, yes?’

‘Ahhh, I see,’ Jean replied with a nod. ‘That teacher.’

‘Are you mad?’ Hermione asked, preparing herself for a lecture.

Her mother shook her head. ‘I’m surprised, but not remotely upset,’ she replied. ‘If you say you were never involved with him before, I believe you. Besides, you have always been older on the inside – you’ve always known your own mind. It was one of the many wonderful, but troublesome traits of yours growing up.’

Hermione giggled at her mother’s assessment. ‘He makes me happy.’

‘He had better,’ Jean said, a slight warning in her tone. ‘Have you had a lot of problems with people finding out about your relationship?’

‘A little,’ she answered honestly. ‘I haven’t spoken to Ron for nearly two months, and before that several months. He was really horrible about Severus still being alive and took some horrible shots at both of us. And one of the senior Healers at work has been harassing me a little, and it only got worse once he thought he’d have a chance because I apparently must like older men.’

Jean rolled her eyes. ‘Some men are pigs,’ she scoffed. ‘Are you still having trouble with him?’

‘I’m not sure. It’s been a little over a month since the last time I had to interact with him at work, but I have a feeling he isn’t quite done yet. I’ll deal with it.’

The older woman nodded. ‘So…’ she began. ‘Tell me about your young man.’

Hermione smiled. ‘He is very different to the Severus Snape I knew as my professor. During my year on the run with Harry, we didn’t really see him. He was stuck at Hogwarts as Headmaster, trying to stop the two Death Eaters that Voldemort put there with him from killing or maiming any of the students,’ she recalled. ‘I sort of saved his life, I guess, on the day of the final battle. He was severely wounded by a large, enchanted snake that almost tore out his throat, and I found him and nursed him back to health.’

Jean’s eyebrows rose. ‘You saved a man’s life?’

Hermione blushed. ‘I did,’ she said shyly.

‘That is quite something, my dear,’ she gushed. ‘Your father and I always knew you were meant for something great.’

‘Yes, well – I took care of him and we became friends. Harry and I lived with him at his home for safety following the war while we were rebuilding Hogwarts –‘

‘Is that where you are living now?’ Jean asked, interrupting.

Hermione paused for a moment, but saw no point in lying to her mother. ‘I do live there,’ she replied. ‘After Severus returned to Hogwarts to resume teaching this year, he asked me if I would stay there while I am apprenticing at St. Mungo’s. I didn’t want to live at Grimmauld Place with Harry because there was too much chance of running into Ron there and we are still on the outs, so it made sense to just stay.’

‘It sounds like he loves you very much,’ Jean pointed out.

Hermione flushed, smiling at the thought of her lover. ‘He has said that he loves me,’ she said quietly. ‘I am a fool in love, and I want to believe that he means it.’

‘We are all fools in love,’ Jean said with a shrug. ‘He would be a fool not to love you. You, my girl, are truly remarkable. Any man worth his salt would see that.’

‘At any rate, I am very happy with how our relationship is going,’ Hermione forged on. ‘I do miss him though – we only get to see each other every three to four weeks because of our conflicting schedules, but when I am with him, it just feels right.’

‘That is how I feel about your father.’

‘Whose father are we talking about here?’

Hermione and Jean both looked up at the doorway from the hall and saw that the man in question was standing in the kitchen with a cheerful look on his face, still wearing a hat from being outdoors, his hands a little dirty from gardening. He had been out in the back garden that afternoon trimming some of their trees and shrubs down, working up a bit of a sweat. It was a new hobby of his that he had picked up since being in Australia.

‘Nothing, my love,’ Jean said, getting up from the table, and going over to give her husband a swift kiss on the cheek. ‘Would you like a cuppa?’

‘I’d love one,’ he answered with a nod, heading over to the sink to wash his hands.

Despite not living in a cold and dreary climate anymore, their habit of drinking copious amounts of tea was a deeply ingrained habit. He pulled off the hat, hanging it on the hook in the kitchen before joining Hermione at the table.

‘Hi, daddy,’ Hermione said, accepting a kiss on the cheek from him.

‘Poppet,’ he replied with a smile. ‘What have you been up to this afternoon?’

‘Mum kicked me out of the kitchen for a couple of hours,’ she said with a grin. ‘So I went down to the beach to do a little reading and get some sun.’

‘Ah yes, your mother can be a little bit of a control freak in the kitchen,’ he said with a chuckle.

Jean swatted his shoulder as she came around to the table with his tea. ‘Because I want things to be just so, doesn’t make me a control freak,’ she said, pouting. ‘I concentrate better in here without any distractions.’

‘She let me finish the potatoes,’ Hermione said, offering her mother some defence.

‘Well that’s something,’ Robert said, taking a swig of his tea. ‘Your mother never lets me touch any of the food.’

‘You, my love, have burnt far too many things in the kitchen over the years to have earned any of my trust with Christmas dinner,’ Jean pointed out. ‘And you have far too much cheek.’

‘You love me anyway,’ he said, putting his hand over hers.

‘I do,’ she said, leaning forward to kiss his lips chastely.

Hermione decided that was her queue to exit the room and go get cleaned up for dinner. ‘I’m going to have a shower and change,’ she said, standing from the table.

She left the kitchen and walked up the stairs to the bedroom she was staying in. She fished out a yellow sleeveless linen summer dress from the wardrobe, one with buttons down the front that fell to just below her knees. She’d bought it a couple of days ago when she first arrived with the intention of wearing it that day. She took her dress and underthings to the bathroom with her and showered away all of the salt, sunscreen and sand. Once she was out, she quickly dressed and ran a little product through her hair to tame her curls, pulling back one side with a clip.

Satisfied that she looked presentable, she put her worn clothes into the hamper and slid on some sandals before heading downstairs. She rounded the corner to go back into the kitchen to help her mother finish and serve dinner, but felt the breath knocked out of her when she ran into a firm, black-clad form. Large hands wrapped around her elbows, preventing her from falling over. She looked up and saw the dark, captivating eyes of her lover staring back down at her.

‘Severus,’ she said, hardly believing her eyes.

She saw his lips quirk up in a small smile. ‘Hello, my love,’ he murmured low, his voice caressing her like so much dark silk.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, creeping her arms up to wrap around his neck. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you until New Year’s Eve. I thought you were stuck at Hogwarts?’

‘Minerva was sick of my brooding apparently, and told me to leave the castle,’ he said with a smirk. ‘I was not thrilled with the idea of not seeing you for so long.’

‘I’m so happy you are here!’ she exclaimed, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips, only lingering for a moment before pulling back, wary of their location.

She released her hold on him, taking a small step backwards so they could continue into the kitchen where both her parents stood. Her father, it seemed, had also found time to clean up before dinner. Neither one of them seem to be surprised or bothered that Severus had shown up for Christmas dinner.

‘Did you both know that Severus was coming?’ she demanded, putting her hands on her hips as she walked into the room.

Jean chuckled. ‘Of course not, my darling,’ she answered. ‘But after our chat this afternoon I was rather hoping he would surprise us all with a visit.’

‘Thank you for welcoming me into your home, Mr and Mrs Granger,’ he said smoothly, coming up to stand behind Hermione and putting his hands on her shoulders.

She leaned backwards into his touch without even realising it, but he gave them a gentle squeeze to let her know he was okay with her closeness.

‘Please, do call me Jean,’ her mother insisted.

‘Yes, call me Robert,’ her dad agreed as he stepped around the table with a couple of dishes of food in his hands. ‘Poppet, if you would please help bring some of the food to the table – your mother has set us up in the dining room tonight.’

‘Allow me,’ Severus said, releasing her shoulders and accepting the dishes of food from Jean.

He quickly disappeared in the same direction her father had gone, leaving her in the kitchen with the last few plates and her mother. The two of them met eyes, and smiled.

‘That man is positively besotted,’ she said, passing Hermione the gravy boat and the bowl of rosemary potatoes.

‘Mum!’ Hermione chastened, blushing.

‘Oh come now,’ Jean said, ushering her out of the kitchen. ‘Let’s eat. All of this cooking has worked up an appetite.’

Hermione followed her mother into the dining room where the two men were politely chatting, seated at the table. Hermione placed the items she was holding in the empty spaces and joined them, sitting beside her lover. Jean sat on the opposite side of the table, all four of them choosing to occupy the same end so they could talk while they ate.

‘So, Severus,’ Robert said as he helped himself to some roast. ‘Hermione tells us that you are a teacher. How are you enjoying it?’

She felt him tense a little beside her, and placed her hand on his arm as a comforting gesture. He visibly relaxed at her touch, and cleared his throat a little before speaking.

‘I am sure Hermione has told you a little about our past?’ he began, and when her parents nodded, continued. ‘I want to reiterate that there was never any sort of inappropriate relationship between us while she was a student at Hogwarts. I was not a kind or even a very good teacher to her or her schoolmates during their time at the school if I’m completely honest. There was a lot at stake, and I had to perform a certain role to ensure my standing.’

‘Hermione has said as much, yes,’ Jean said, as she filled her plate.

‘Due to the nature of my roles as a spy, I was unkind, demanding, often cruel,’ he said, and she could hear the embarrassment in his tone. ‘I am now able to teach as I would have then – I run my classroom quite strictly, but not without reason – Potions can be a very dangerous subject if a student is not diligent. Too often have people been injured when recklessly combining volatile ingredients. So I remain firm – but fair. And that is a much better way to teach and makes my job less abhorrent than it once was.’

‘I went to boarding school in my youth,’ her father said then. ‘I know all sorts of things about the goings-on at school. And in all honesty, the strictest teachers were the ones that got the most results from their students. I hated them to my core, but I was an excellent student as a result.’

She saw Severus smirk then. ‘I know my students hate me,’ he said with a soft chuckle. ‘But at least none of them will die in my classroom.’

‘So, how long do we have you here for?’ Jean asked.

‘For as long as Hermione is willing to put up with me,’ Severus said, casting a sly glance her way. ‘If you will permit me to stay, Jean.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of sending you away,’ her mother said.

They ate dinner, chatting pleasantly about work and life; her parents told Severus a bunch of embarrassing stories about her from childhood. She was just glad that they hadn’t tried to crack open any family photo albums right there at the dinner table, though she was certain that would happen at some point in the future. Once everyone had finished eating, they all cleared the table and Hermione helped Jean put the leftovers into containers that made their way into the refrigerator. They retired to the sitting room with an aperitif.

‘So Severus, do you play golf?’ Robert asked, and Hermione felt her eyes roll back into her head. Her father loved golf, and he had only come to enjoy it more in a climate that wasn’t dreary and wet all of the time.

‘I haven’t played, but I understand the general ins and outs of the game,’ Severus replied.

‘What do you say to a game tomorrow?’ her father offered. ‘I’ll take you to the club and we can hire a set of clubs for you. You look like a strong and rather coordinated sort.’

‘I would be happy to accompany you,’ he answered.

‘You don’t have to go, Severus,’ Hermione said, putting her hand on his arm. ‘Daddy is always trying to recruit people to play golf with him – it’s dreadfully boring.’

Severus chuckled. ‘Hermione, I will go with your father to play golf,’ he said, covering her hand with his. ‘I am sure it will be excellent exercise. I could use a little.’

Hermione smiled fondly at him. ‘I suppose that will also save you from having to face the Boxing Day hoards with mum and me,’ she said with a giggle.

‘A small mercy,’ he replied.

‘Are we in the mood for dessert at all, or shall we save it for tomorrow?’ Jean asked, taking a sip of her port.

‘Oh tomorrow, please,’ Hermione said, patting her stomach. ‘If I eat another thing I will be sure to explode.’

‘Okay darling,’ Jean said. ‘Your father and I are going to turn in early tonight. If you are serious about accompanying Robert to play golf, I suggest you do too, Severus.’

‘That’s right, lad,’ Robert agreed. ‘I’ll be up and out the door at seven o’clock sharp. We tee off at 8!’

Hermione watched Severus’ ~~s~~ expression, but it didn’t shift. He simply nodded and they continued to chat for a while longer as they finished their drinks. Her parents took their glasses and went to finish tidying the kitchen despite her and Severus’ protests, so they retired upstairs to her room. Once they were inside, Hermione casually cast a silencing spell on the room so they wouldn’t disturb her parents through the night. She turned to see her lover sitting on the bed, his long legs stretched out in front of him, gazing at her with dark heat in his eyes.

‘Come,’ he murmured, his voice low and commanding, patting the bed beside him.

She felt heat pool in her belly at the single word. She kicked off her shoes, practically floating as she walked over to join him, sliding a hand onto his thigh, lightly stroking up and down. He sucked in a breath as her hand inched higher up her thigh. He caught her hand then, lifting it to his mouth and kissing her palm, his warm breath chuffing over her skin. She felt the warmth pool lower, almost becoming an ache at this gentle touch.

He released her hand and stood from the bed, reaching down to grasp her waist, and lifting her up just enough to deposit her in the centre of it. He kicked off his own shoes then before following her onto it, nudging her legs apart so he could slot himself between them, his hands resting on either side of her head as he held himself up. His lips ghosted over hers, and she reached up to his shoulders so she could pull him closer, feeling needy.

‘Patience, pet,’ he said quietly, resisting her pull.

She pouted then, her bottom lip protruding in a way that he was unable to resist. He leaned in and gently nipped with his teeth before soothing with his tongue. She gasped, and his mouth descended on hers, hard. It was all she could do to keep breathing as he devoured her mouth with his own. She had her hands on his back, and was clawing at it to try and bring him even closer to her. She could feel his hardness pressing into her centre, and if they had been naked, she was certain it would have impaled her in an instant.

His lips left hers, trailing hot kisses across her jaw to her ear, taking her lobe into his mouth and suckling until she began writhing against him. She heard him chuckle at her frustration, and was tempted to push him off her so she could roll them over and straddle him. But he had other ideas, it seemed, and he pulled away, kneeling between her legs and pulling the black sweater he was wearing up and off, tossing it aside. She hadn’t really had a chance to take him in properly earlier, and thought he looked incredibly sexy in the casual muggle attire he had chosen to wear – his usual white button-down shirt, but the sweater and black jeans were an unexpected choice.

‘I like this dress, my love,’ he said, voice husky with desire. ‘It’s very becoming.’

‘You’re one to talk,’ she replied, flushing. ‘Jeans and a sweater? Positively sinful on you. Who would have thought the brooding, cranky master of the dungeons would ever be caught dead wearing Muggle attire?’

‘I can remedy that situation quite quickly,’ he said, plucking open the buttons of his shirt efficiently. ‘Muggle clothes are quite easy to remove.’

‘I rather like all of your buttons,’ she confessed. ‘It makes the anticipation that much sweeter.’

His eyes flashed with pure lust at her comment. Once his shirt was off, his hands reached for the buttons of her dress, which he efficiently dealt with, peeling the dress apart to reveal her to him. She wore cotton knickers and a simple bra, but he looked at her as though she was dressed in something infinitely more racy. His finger traced the cups of her bra, trailing down her sternum and across the band of her knickers. He swiftly stood from the bed, and removed his jeans and boxers quickly, along with his socks, and stood there before her, like he had been chiselled from marble.

‘Undress,’ he demanded.

And she did. They fell back onto the bed with one another, losing themselves to their passions. And Hermione thought to herself that it was a very Merry Christmas indeed.

\--

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N – Thank you to everyone who has been following along, leaving kudos and comments. I am grateful for every single one! Many thanks to my beta GeekLoveFan for being such a gem! x


	18. January 9th

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

\--

The kitchen was still dark as the kettle on the stove began to whistle its loud tune, indicating that the water within was boiling.

Hermione shuffled back into the room, waving her hand to light it. Her wandless magic had come a long way in the past few months with practice and lots of encouragement from Severus. She removed the kettle from the flame, switching it off before turning to the French press she had prepared on the bench. The coffee was the final thing she had to make before her breakfast preparations were complete. She poured the water into the jug and watched as the liquid bloomed with dark, rich colour, the coffee grounds swirling in the liquid.

She placed the French press onto the breakfast tray and, smiling at her efforts, levitated it with her out of the kitchen, and down the hall to the bedroom. She pushed the door open and stood there for a moment, admiring the form of the man sprawled across the bed, his head resting on the pillow she had abandoned, and one of his long legs thrown over the covers. He was wearing sleep pants, but his chest was bared to her. She loved him. He looked younger in his sleep, all of his worries melted away in the peace that slumber brought.

Hermione moved into the room, sitting down on the side of the bed closest to his head, and lifting a hand to gently stroke the hair back from his face.

His eyes flickered open then, and his gaze sleepily fell on her. ‘Good morning,’ he grumbled, his voice heavy with sleep.

‘Good morning,’ she replied, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. ‘I made breakfast.’

His eyes opened a little wider at those words, and he begrudgingly hauled himself into a sitting position, shifting back over to his side of the bed. She scooted further onto the bed to join him, levitating the breakfast tray so that it hovered above his lap, quickly pulling the legs of the tray out so that it would rest on the bed without magical assistance. She reached over and pressed down slowly on the French press until it was as far down as it would go before pouring a mug of coffee for them both. After she had a sip of hers, she looked back at him, watching him drink from his own.

‘Happy Birthday, love,’ she said with a grin.

His eyes widened in surprise. ‘Who told you?’ he asked.

‘I got it out of Minerva some time ago,’ she answered. ‘Don’t be mad at her. I am very persistent when I need to be.’

‘I’m not particularly fond of the yearly reminder that I am getting older,’ he murmured, frowning slightly. ‘I feel old enough as it is.’

Hermione placed her mug on the side table, lifting his from his hands and putting it on the tray before him. She put a hand on his cheek, turning him to face her gently, staring into the piercing black depths.

‘You are hardly old, Severus,’ she said firmly. ‘Forty is not old. You are a wizard and have many more years ahead of you yet. And I will do everything in my power to prove to you just how _not_ old you are.’

And with that, she kissed him with all of the passion and promise she could, trying to show him – to convince him that his age was irrelevant. A wizard with as much power as he did not have to worry about age – his magic would sustain him and give him vitality. He accepted her kiss, one of his hands fisting into her wild curls, an audible moan escaping him as she teased his lips with her tongue. She was not often as forceful as he was with kisses, but she wanted to show him how he made her feel – set him alight as he did her.

As she pulled back, they were both breathless and panting, and there was a distinct tenting of his sleep pants that signalled his growing arousal.

She smirked. ‘At least one part of you knows how young you are,’ she said brazenly.

‘Cheeky witch,’ he said, throwing her a sour look before returning to his coffee and breakfast.

She removed the stasis spell from the tray that was keeping the meal warm. She had thrown together an omelette with some rye toast, a fruit salad, and some yoghurt for him. He was partial to a larger breakfast, and would eat smaller meals as the day went on. He picked up his fork and dug into the food, eating a few appreciative bites before holding out his fork with some omelette on it towards her. She accepted the food, letting him slide the fork past her lips and pulling back to chew thoughtfully.

‘Not bad, if I do say so myself,’ she said with a grin.

He smiled, chuckling at her playfulness that morning. ‘It is very enjoyable,’ he said, his eyes dancing with mirth. ‘Thank you, Hermione. I did not expect this, and it is very much appreciated.’

‘You are very welcome.’

They drank their coffee and ate breakfast together in companionable silence, and after they were done, she banished the tray to the kitchen to tidy later, and they stretched out languidly in the bed, both of them too full and too tired to move. It was fortunate that Severus’s birthday fell on a Sunday that year, or they would not have been afforded the opportunity to lounge around as they pleased. She curled up against his side, and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder as he read the book he kept on his bedside table for such occasions. She loved this about him – there were always books strewn around on various surfaces. It had always been much that way in her room growing up as well as her Hogwarts dorm as a student.

His arm was wrapped around her, and his hand indolently played with some of her riotous hair. She hadn’t bothered with trying to tame it all that well yet, intending to spend more of the day lounging in his chambers before the special dinner she had organised for that evening. She allowed one of her hands to drift across his warm chest, grazing it through the very light dusting of chest hair that was sprinkled across. She heard and felt the rumble of his laugh. She loved it when he laughed while her ear was pressed to his chest – she enjoyed the vibration and knowing it was she that had drawn it from him.

He abandoned his book then, turning to take her in his arms and pull her atop him so they could engage in an even more pleasurable pastime.

A while later, Hermione stood under the spray of the shower, rinsing the conditioner from her hair while Severus Stood behind her, reaching around her body to fondle her breasts that were still quite tender from their last bout of lovemaking. She sighed with pleasure, leaning back into him as he used his slippery, soapy hands to cup them, both hands easily enveloping them, using his talented fingers to pinch and roll her pert nipples. Abandoning her hair, she reached her arms up behind her to grasp his neck, her legs feeling a little wobbly.

He turned her in his arms suddenly, his passion already renewed. She gasped as her back made contact with the cool wall, a sound which he muffled with his greedy mouth. His arm curved around her leg, lifting it up to hook around his hip, and he slid his free hand down between them, sliding his clever fingers through her centre and found her hot, wet and waiting. She didn’t find it very hard to become aroused by him – his desire was intoxicating. He pulled back to look into her eyes, a question in them, and she gave a nod, putting her hands on his chest to steady herself.

With one swift thrust, his cock was inside her, and she moaned with pleasure. The angle created by their position made him hit inside her in a totally different way than usual, and despite the wall biting into her back very slightly, she enjoyed it very much. He withdrew until he was almost completely out, and swiftly thrust back in – hard. She bit her lip, drawing a little blood. It was good. She could already feel an orgasm building within her.

His lustful smile at her reaction was feral, and stirred a primal part of her to the surface.

‘Harder,’ she implored, sliding one hand to his shoulder and the other to his face, sliding her thumb over his bottom lip.

He nipped at her thumb, and punctuated it with another hard, measured thrust.

‘Don’t go easy on me,’ she breathed. ‘Fuck me harder – now!’

And with that, he snapped and began driving into her, a wild beast unleashed by her pleas for more. She let a hand drift between them, focussing on the feeling of him moving within her and letting her fingers play her centre, circling and stroking her own bundle of nerves. It only served to entice him further, and his thrusts became faster. It wasn’t long before her muscles rippled around him, clamping, quivering, milking. And with a groan, he jerked his hips against hers and spent himself, sagging against her a little.

She stroked his shoulder and wet hair as the water sloughed over them still. He withdrew, sliding out of her, his seed slowly trickling from her and washing down the drain.

‘I’m sorry, you must be tender,’ he said, his eyes darting away from her.

She grasped his hand as he tried to slip out of the shower, drawing him back to her. ‘That was incredible,’ she told him, looking him hard in the eye and making sure he knew in no uncertain terms that she had enjoyed it. ‘You, my love, have far more stamina than any man I’ve ever heard of.’

He allowed her a small smirk at that comment. ‘Having a young, lovely witch in my bed certainly helps to inspire,’ he said teasingly.

They finished cleaning themselves, and once she had dried herself, Hermione stood at the mirror with her pick comb and gently removed the knots from her hair. She had to use some product to define and tame her riot of curls while it was still wet. Severus was already in the other room, getting dressed for the day in his usual teaching attire. He still had to perform rounds of the castle that evening after curfew, so it made little sense for him to dress otherwise.

Hermione also decided she would need to dress warmly. Now that they were no longer in the hot shower or engaged in amorous activities, the cold had reared its ugly head in the dungeons. She slid on stockings, a tan wool skirt, a dark grey turtleneck, and her warm winter robes over it. It wouldn’t do for students to potentially see her dressed casually in the castle. She put on boots and walked into the sitting room where the fire had been built up and lit.

Her stomach growled then, having worked up a fresh appetite. She found her lover in the kitchen, boiling the kettle for the teapot he had set out on the bench.

‘I ordered lunch from the kitchen,’ he informed her, as the kettle began to sing its song.

‘Thank you, I am famished,’ she said gratefully.

He finished making the tea and they walked to the sitting room together to find their lunch had been left on the coffee table for them by the elves. Hermione was delighted to find it was a hearty beef stew, with buttered rolls and what looked to be butterscotch pudding to the side of it. They served reasonable portions of the food, and she immediately began eating, sighing happily at the food that was sliding down her throat and warming her from the inside out.

‘What do you want to do with the rest of today?’ she asked, looking over at Severus.

He chewed thoughtfully and slowly, before swallowing. ‘I wouldn’t mind dashing to Hogsmeade to look at a new book I have been anticipating. Other than that, I am at your disposal. I know that gleam in your eye, wicked girl. You have more planned for me than breakfast in bed and shagging.’

She grinned. ‘You’ll see,’ she said, not taking the bait. ‘Hogsmeade sounds good, though.’

‘I honestly might need to take a nap this afternoon,’ he admitted gruffly. ‘I think we might have spent all of my energy this morning.’

‘A worthwhile endeavour, I hope?’

‘Can you be left in any doubt?’

She giggled and shook her head no. ‘I wouldn’t mind a repeat performance later if you are up for it,’ Hermione teased.

He raised his brows at her incredulously. ‘So you _are_ trying to kill me then?’ he drawled. ‘Ah! But what a way to go. Here lieth Severus Snape, Potions Master and Spy. Taken from this world early by the littlest death.’

She burst out laughing at his tirade, pausing to wipe a tear from her eye as she chuckled. He really had the most clever tongue of any man she had ever met – he always had the exact right thing to say. She loved his subtle humour. They had yet to run up against any problems in their relationship so far – she was actually kind of anxiously awaiting their first proper fight. They were both very stubborn people, so she imagined if their passion in so many things were to crackle in a negative way, any sort of fight between them would be incendiary.

After they finished lunch, the food disappeared with a pop, taken away by the house elves. Hermione found her scarf and beanie on the hooks by the doorway, and grabbed Severus’s scarf, wrapping it around his neck snugly, and affectionately caressing his cheek. They left his chambers, walking up out of the Dungeon, passing students who were wandering around in the halls and politely greeting those who spoke to them.

They left the castle, walking along the cold, snowy path towards Hogsmeade, hand in hand, a warming charm cast over them so they wouldn’t need to wear gloves.

When they arrived in the village, they made a beeline for the bookstore. Hermione walked around the store, looking for a few medical texts she wanted to add to her collection. She had a lot already, but thought she would get a head start on the books she would require for her second year of apprenticeship. She hugged the tomes to her chest before wandering around to try and find Severus while he looked for his book.

When she rounded one of the shelves, she found him standing and speaking to a tall, dark-haired woman. She had never seen this woman before in her life. She was quite beautiful – she had straight hair, bright green eyes, and an almost regal air about her. The woman put a hand on Severus’ arm in a familiar way, and it immediately put Hermione on her guard. She felt a gnawing begin in her stomach – and she felt a little silly just standing there. She was going to just head to the counter to cover her growing discomfort when Severus turned to look over his shoulder and caught sight of her standing there.

Her breath lodged in her throat and she had to swallow hard to clear the lump there. He turned and held out his hand to her, and she had to force herself to walk towards him, focussing on putting one foot in front of the other. When she was beside him, his arm went around her, and she felt vaguely reassured by his touch.

‘Hermione, this is Julia Rookwood,’ he said, introducing them. ‘Julia, Hermione Granger.’

Hermione nodded politely. ‘Pleased to meet you, Ms. Rookwood,’ she said, trying to control her immediate emotional response.

‘Please, call me Julia,’ she said smoothly. ‘Severus was just telling me that you are a Healer in training.’

‘I am,’ she replied. ‘And what do you do, Julia?’

‘I work in the Department of Mysteries,’ she answered. ‘Despite my father’s inclinations towards the dark, my mother sent me abroad so that I would not become embroiled in the war. I returned fairly recently.’

Hermione noted that Severus had fallen silent beside her. She could tell he was a little uncomfortable, and wondered if he knew how awkward she was feeling. Here was this stunning woman before them – she seemed very worldly and she was perhaps close to her mid-thirties but didn’t have a single line on her porcelain skin.

‘We must be off,’ Severus said, his voice a little strained, gesturing towards the counter. ‘It was nice to see you again, Julia.’

He led Hermione over to the counter, and paid for their books, grasping her hand and leading her out of the store and away from the source of both their discomfort. She felt like she was in a daze as they walked quickly through the snow in the direction of the castle. She couldn’t look at him. The feeling in the pit of her stomach still loomed. She had a feeling, but she was trying to stamp down on it because it was an ugly feeling that she didn’t want to acknowledge.

They arrived back at the castle, neither one of them having spoken since the bookstore, and swiftly returned to his chambers. Awkwardness stretched between them the longer they refused to talk about the interaction that had just occurred. She hung her beanie and scarf, avoiding looking up at Severus even as she faced him to remove his. As Hermione made to remove the woollen fabric his hand closed over hers and she closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath before tilting her head up and locking eyes with him.

‘Yes?’ she said.

His brows were furrowed together a little, a mixture of annoyance and concern. ‘You haven’t spoken a word to me, let alone looked at me since we left the bookstore,’ he said, his tone clipped.

‘I – I don’t know what you want me to say,’ she stammered.

‘I was not expecting to run into Julia in the store,’ he said. ‘Why do you seem upset?’

‘I’m not upset –‘

‘Don’t lie to me, Hermione,’ he interrupted, warning in his voice.

‘Was she your lover?’ Hermione finally asked. The question had been in the back of her mind from the moment she had seen them.

‘For a time,’ he answered truthfully. ‘It was a very long time ago, Hermione.’

‘She is very beautiful,’ she said quietly, ducking her chin and looking down.

His hand gently lifted her chin up, so she was looking at him again. ‘I don’t understand why you are upset about this,’ he said, and she could tell he was trying to be patient. ‘I was not deliberately trying to parade my old lover in front of you. That run-in was unintentional. I have not seen her in nearly fifteen years.’

Hermione felt hot tears fill her eyes and she tried to will them away. ‘I – I don’t know why it bothers me,’ she admitted. ‘She is beautiful and tall, and she seems very accomplished. She is arguably a lot more suitable an age for you…’

‘I love _you_ ,’ he said, cutting her off. ‘I choose _you_.’

She looked into his dark eyes properly then and saw that there was warmth flickering within. He meant it. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, tucking her head under his chin and letting the tears slip from her eyes, the wet droplets landing on his scarf. She relief wash over her, mixed with embarrassment over being jealous in the first place. She had known that he had lovers in the past – she just didn’t really expect to be meeting any of them in person. Though, it wasn’t as if he was flaunting her.

‘I’m sorry, Severus,’ she mumbled, gripping the front of his robe tightly. ‘I love you too. I feel like a fool.’

He sighed heavily, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly to him, leaning his chin on the top of her head. ‘Hermione, you have no need to be concerned about any women from my past – there have not been a lot, I assure you. In fact, before you there had not been anyone in nearly ten years… The stress of being a spy is not conducive to being receptive to any sort of relationship,’ he said, his voice vibrating around her – comforting her. ‘I did not have feelings for any of them – those relationships were strictly of convenience on both sides. I have not loved anyone as I do you.’

She tilted her head up to look at him then. ‘Anyone?’

He shook his head. ‘Not a one,’ he replied. ‘Not even Lily captured this pitiful heart as you have. I am damaged goods, but you have me – completely.’

She leaned up and kissed him then, to silence him. ‘You are not pitiful or undeserving of love,’ she whispered against his lips. ‘You are the most deserving, because you have had to be alone for so long.’

They stood there together for a while, simply taking comfort. They were both damaged, though it had not had much opportunity to shine through until that afternoon.

Hermione was reluctant to part from him when she finally let him go, but it was not for long. They shed their robes and moved to the lounge, and he sat with his long legs stretched out along it, welcoming her into his arms to sit alongside him, the throw blanket draped over them. He waved a hand at the fireplace and a new log joined the rest of the smouldering wood to fuel it for a while longer. Exhausted from their morning and the emotional outburst, Hermione closed her eyes and felt herself drifting off.

She awoke sometime later when a log shifted in the fireplace, inhaling sharply in surprise. She turned in Severus’ arms and saw his eyes were closed. Apparently he was a little worn out too. In his sleep his face was relaxed, and the two lines between his brows from years of frowning were less pronounced. She lifted her hand to his face, and gently traced his features, committing them to her memory – every line, his surprisingly soft skin, the little five o’clock shadow that was beginning to assert itself, though he was very diligent in shaving – she wondered what he might look like if he were to grow a beard.

Her fingers traced his soft lips, and she jumped a little in surprise when they parted, and his teeth nipped lightly at her hand. As she snatched her hand away she heard a sleepy chuckle, and soon his eyes were open and staring at her.

‘How long have we been asleep?’ he asked.

She turned in his arms to look up at the clock on the mantle. ‘Only a couple of hours,’ she replied.

It was nearly six in the evening, and she had yet to show him his real birthday surprise. She hoped their small fallout earlier had not ruined the rest of the plans she had that day. She slid out of Severus’ arms and stood from the lounge, retrieving the robes they had discarded earlier, holding out the black ones to him.

‘Dinner isn’t for another hour yet,’ he said, standing to don the robes anyway.

‘I organised dinner for just the two of us,’ she said with a smile. ‘Minerva is aware and expects only that you will cover your rounds late tonight.’

He raised an eyebrow at her, clearly curious. ‘You did not have to go to this much effort for me,’ he told her, looking a little embarrassed.

‘I wanted to go to this much effort for you,’ she insisted, walking over to take his hand. ‘Come, let us go.’

‘Where are we going, pet?’ he asked, allowing her to lead him by the hand.

She walked down the hall and up to the entrance hall, but instead of going into the Great Hall when they climbed the stairs to the first level, she continued further, and they climbed all the way up to the seventh floor. Hermione could tell he was still confused, even as they reached what appeared to be the end of the hall. She released his hand and walked back and forth before the wall three times before a door finally appeared.

‘The room of requirement?’ he asked, a wry smile appearing on his lips.

‘Come,’ she said, beckoning to him as she opened the door and pushed it open.

He followed her inside, and there in the centre of the room stood a beautifully set table. It was set in the French manner, like a fine dining restaurant with all of the little forks, spoons and knives laid out just so. She knew that Severus enjoyed French cuisine. He would often cook it for them back at Spinner’s End during the summer. She wanted to surprise him with some of his favourite dishes. It was a simple gesture, but hopefully one that showed him how much he had come to mean to her during their time together.

‘Have a seat,’ she said with a smile.

‘Allow me to at least treat you like a lady this evening,’ he said gruffly, striding towards the table and pulling out a chair for her.

She acquiesced and sat in the chair, watching as he glided around to the opposite side and sat in the other chair. Soft, classical music was playing in the background, though she was not sure where the sound came from, and soon there was wine on the table as well as their Hors d’Oeuvres of Moules Farcies – stuffed baked mussels.

Hermione held up her glass to toast him. ‘To you, Severus,’ she said with a smile. ‘And to many more of your birthdays together.’

His expression as he raised his glass towards her was soft. ‘One can only hope,’ he said, his velvety voice washing over her.

And so they tucked into the delicious food and drink, all of their cares for the day melted away, and Hermione’s heart was full.

\--

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, big love to everyone who is following this fluffy little tale. And endless gratitude to my beta GeekLoveFan for her patience and attention to detail! x


	19. A Little Romance

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

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Pink heart decorations were strewn all over the place—paper, plastic, balloons and figurines. If it was decorative and pink, there was an abundance of it everywhere.

Hermione walked through the halls of St. Mungo’s having been subjected to all of the St. Valentine’s Day paraphernalia from the moment she walked through the door. She had rolled her eyes and continued on her way, business as usual. It was a holiday that had never held any significance to her, as she had never had a boyfriend during that time of the year before. She knew that this year was different, and she had Severus, but his own loathing of the holiday only served to fuel her continued apathy towards it.

She was not expecting anything to come of it, so why should she even pretend to care about or acknowledge it?

Pausing at the nurse’s station, she collected the final stack of charts for her afternoon rounds that day. She had already seen over fifty patients that day alone, and she was exhausted. For the staff of St. Mungo’s, Valentine’s day was a day filled with magical folk ending up at the hospital with celebration-related injuries, ranging from burns and broken bones to people who had been drugged accidentally by their dates. Well, she certainly hoped they were accidents, but she was not so naïve as to think that was the case.

She had swapped onto the day roster with one of the other Apprentices whose boyfriend was working that night, so they had celebrated together during the day. Just because she wasn’t planning anything didn’t mean that she was going to rain on anyone else’s parade. Hermione had a bath and a bottle of wine waiting at home for her that evening, and she was looking forward to having a relaxing night in to herself after how busy the day had been.

She wandered from room to room, checking on the patients, making notes and slight alterations to their medications where needed, and left the charts at the end of the bed for the nurses and the Healers on the night shift to read through on their rounds in a few hours. When she got to her second-to-last room, she had to clean and re-bandage a wound on one of her patients’ feet, and she ended up with puss all down the front of her robes from a boil that burst when she was checking under the current one.

It had been a fairly disgusting task, but she took it all in her stride and was incredibly professional, acting as though nothing had happened, and waving off the patient’s apologies for the incident. She cast a quick cleansing charm on her clothes, and continued on to the final room on her circuit, and the only one she was looking forward to. She rounded the doorway into room 305, and saw that her patient was sitting up in bed, eating dinner. She pulled a chair over to sit beside the bed and smiled at the woman fondly.

Cho Chang smiled at her, her lashes dark against her pale skin. ‘Hello, Hermione,’ she greeted.

‘Hello,’ Hermione replied. ‘How has your day been? How is the pain today?’

Hermione was of course referring to Cho’s reason for being stuck at St. Mungo’s. During the final battle she had returned to Hogwarts to fight. She had been a part of Dumbledore’s Army at one point, and she was determined to help those people she had formed close bonds with during her time at Hogwarts. Unfortunately she had been hit by a stray slicing hex that had struck her hip, slicing the tendons that connected her leg, and she had almost bled out. The hex was a dark one of unknown origin, and it was assumed that there was a portion of the spell that was designed to keep the skin, muscle, and veins from being able to fully heal.

Countless curse-breakers and even Severus himself had been to look in on her and attempt to reverse the effects of the spell, but none had managed so far. She and Severus had been working on their recent weekends together on trying to develop a potion that might be of some use, but it would take months of trial and error to find something. So in the meantime, Cho was stuck in the long-term care ward, having blood and fluid transfusions, and spells constantly topped up to stop her from bleeding out completely while they searched for a solution.

‘It’s manageable,’ Cho answered. ‘Better now that I don’t have to eat my dinner all alone in here on Valentine’s Day.’

Hermione felt a pang of sympathy for her. ‘I’m sorry that we still haven’t found a solution to the problem yet.’

Cho shook her head. ‘Don’t be silly,’ she said firmly. ‘It’s enough that you are even trying. I have the best care here, and the best Apprentice and Potions Master on the job.’

Hermione smiled, putting a hand on Cho’s. ‘I’m sorry that you’ve been alone so much today. I would have tried to come by earlier, but Valentine’s Day inspires stupidity in the masses.’

‘And do you not have your own Valentine’s plans with a certain dark and surly Potions Professor?’ the woman beside her teased.

‘Merlin, no,’ Hermione said with a chuckle. ‘Severus is even less interested in this “holiday” than I am. We made no plans. I have wine, a bath, and a good book waiting for me at home.’

‘That sounds almost as depressing as my plans,’ Cho said, patting her hand before resuming her meal. ‘And I’m not exactly thrilled about being here. Gods I miss dating.’

Hermione sighed and shook her head. ‘You’ll be back breaking hearts in no time.’

‘One can only hope,’ she replied, and the two of them dissolved into a giggling fit.

After Cho had finished her meal, Hermione gave her the daily assortment of potions she needed to consume before going to sleep, and replaced the bag of blood that was hanging on the stand nearby, making its way into Cho’s bloodstream, as blood replenishing potions were just not cutting it on their own anymore. It was a creative Muggle solution they had integrated because magical ones just didn’t appear to be working effectively. Hermione hugged the now sleepy Cho, and left the room, closing the door behind her to give her privacy.

Sighing heavily, she walked back down to the first floor, signing off her shift for the day before heading to the staff room to collect her things. She decided to take her Apprentice robes home that day with her to wash them – cleansing charms only went so far and there had been quite a lot of the puss from her earlier patient. She went to the Apparation point, and soon found herself in the sitting room at home, and banished her robes to the laundry hamper.

‘Welcome home,’ a low, honeyed voice drawled from the doorway behind her.

She spun on her heal to see her lover standing behind her wearing his black jeans and one of his crisp white shirts beneath the same black cashmere he had worn at Christmas. He was a study of sin personified, leaning against the wooden doorframe casually, his dark eyes blazing. She launched herself at him in excitement, pleased to see him after such a trying day, despite her insistence that Valentine’s day was rubbish. He caught her, crushing her to him in a tight embrace, her arms winding around his neck so that she could remain close.

‘I’m so happy to see you,’ she said, peppering his face with kisses. ‘I had pretty depressing plans to come home and have wine in the bath alone, so this is infinitely better.’

He chuckled, dipping his head to steal a quick kiss from her lips. ‘I was trapped at Hogwarts all day with distracted students – I fear I will come to regret how many detentions I doled out come the weekend, but the horny little bastards were intolerable.’

‘Mmmm, you smell so good,’ she said, pressing her nose to his neck and inhaling. ‘I didn’t know how much I needed to see you today until now.’

‘Minerva thought you might feel that way, so she sent me home to see you,’ he said, chuckling as her lips pressed against the scar tissue on the injured side of his neck. ‘Hermione, come now, I have dinner ready. We can continue this… discussion later.’

She pulled back, a sulky expression on her face. ‘Fine, but only because I am famished, and before you came into the room I was probably getting Chinese takeaway from down the road to eat standing over the kitchen sink.’

He laughed as she dragged him behind her into the kitchen, where their dinner was already waiting on the table. It was a Moroccan feast, and her nostrils were assailed with all of the delicious spices in the room. Severus was a master of spices, his many years as a potions master fine tuning his nose and palette, making him proficient at finding the right ones to blend together to create the most delicious meals. Her mouth was watering, and she allowed him to pull her chair out for her; she sat, giddy as a child.

‘I don’t even know where to start!’ she exclaimed.

He smiled at her excitement. ‘Eat up, my love,’ he said, pouring wine into their glasses.

They enjoyed dinner, chatting casually about how their week had been. They spoke about Cho and made plans to work on the potion to help with her condition that weekend at Hogwarts. After seeing her that day, Hermione was more determined than ever to help her. She finished eating and sat back, satisfied, patting her stomach and smiling. Severus looked pleased with himself across from her and waved his hand over the table, sending the dirty dishes to the sink, and the food dishes to the kitchen bench.

They put away the leftovers, which Hermione would take with her to work for the rest of the week. He took her hand then and led her upstairs to the bathroom, and turned on the faucets to fill the bath, adding a few different potions he had lined up into it. She stood and watched, admiring him as he worked. He stood back up and moved over to her, his hands immediately going to her collar, unbuttoning the tiny pearl buttons down her front. He peeled back the shirt, sliding it down her arms and tossing it to the side.

She shivered in anticipation of what was to come, her skin prickling at his touch. He continued to undress her, slowly removing each item, teasing her with light brushes of his hands against her flesh. Soon she stood before him, stripped nude, while he remained fully dressed. She stepped up to him, grasping the bottom of his jumper; she started to edge it up, and he raised his arms for her, ducking lower so she could pull it over his head. It joined her clothing on the floor, and she immediately attacked the buttons of his shirt.

Once he was stripped down to nothing, he turned off the taps, and checked the water temperature before stepping into the water. He held a hand out to help her into the bath, and they slid down into the water, him behind with her bottom snugged up against him, and his arms were around her waist, holding her close. His fingers unhurriedly began to walk over her skin, massaging her shoulders, skimming over her breasts, sliding down her stomach, teasing her thighs but never quite touching where she wanted them.

‘Please,’ she whined, reaching her hand up to fist in his hair. ‘Don’t tease me.’

His lips tumbled over her neck, stopping to suckle at the juncture where her neck and shoulder met. ‘Patience, love,’ he whispered against her skin. ‘Anticipation will make it all the sweeter.’

‘I miss your touch whenever I am alone,’ she said softly as his hands slid back up to cup and massage her breasts. ‘My own touch does nothing for me any longer.’

He sucked in a breath but continued to nibble her neck. ‘It’s not the same is it?’ he murmured. ‘It feels empty. I long for you every moment that I am not with you.’

She moaned as he plucked her nipples gently, and she could feel his interest poking into her back, trapped between them. She knew he was incredibly aroused, but he was patient and determined to drive her mad with want. One hand remained toying with a breast while the other slithered down to her centre, sliding his fingers through her folds and stroking her tearing a moan from her that filled the room. She loved the feeling of his fingers as he skilfully played her.

Suddenly his fingers withdrew, and she felt herself being spun around to face him, her legs falling to either side of his. He used his hands to draw her hips to the surface, her back braced against the tub. Realising his intention, she grasped the edge of the tub behind her, and he moved to his knees, holding her hips above the water, and dipping his head down, his tongue snaking out to taste her, licking the seam before stopping to suckle and tease her clitoris. She moaned again, unable to stop the noise from leaving her.

He grinned wickedly against her, as he continued his ministrations. She could feel the orgasm building, tightening within her. She felt like a spring that was coiling up, ready to be released. Two of his long, wily fingers slid within her depths as he continued to feast on her, and with a few strokes, she was coming, crying out her pleasure. He gently soothed her with his tongue as she came back down from her high, and he released her hips then and allowed her to sink back down into the warm water.

Once her mind returned to the present, she pushed him backwards, so he was sitting in the tub, and she clambered onto his lap, grasping his needy cock with one hand and sliding onto it, sheathing him fully within her depths. It was his turn to moan, the sound coming out like a growl which only served to drive her passion further. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she slipped forward before taking him within her again. It was exquisite torture.

He grasped her hips with his hands, and they worked together towards the pleasurable goal – she would slam down onto him as he thrust upwards, the water sloshing over the sides of the tub. She could feel another orgasm building; the way the tip of his cock rubbed within her was driving her to new heights. He flicked his fingers over her clitoris as their pace increased and soon she was climaxing again; he followed her soon after with a hoarse shout.

Panting, she let him slide from her. She was really starting to relish all of the bathroom sex they’d been enjoying lately.

‘Well that was… insane,’ she said, her words failing her in the haze of post orgasmic bliss.

He looked completely spent, and she smiled, leaning towards him and pressing a kiss to his lips. He accepted the kiss, cupping her cheek. ‘I’m going to have to work very hard to be able to keep up with you, my love,’ he said, still a little breathless.

She got up from the bath and walked over to the shower, turning it on the adjusting the taps so that the temperature was right. Their combined fluids were now in the bath water, so she figured they could simply rinse off and finish their ablutions in the shower. He joined her under the water moments later as the tub began to drain, and they soaped and rinsed themselves before shutting the water off.

‘Let’s have tea in the office,’ he suggested as they dried themselves and he redressed in his clothes from earlier. ‘I won’t be able to stay for the night, as I have classes to teach early in the morning, but I’d like to spend a little more time with you.’

‘I’ll make the tea,’ she offered, slipping into her warm flannel pyjamas and banishing her clothes from before into the laundry hamper.

She walked downstairs as Severus went to the office to light a fire, and she put the kettle on. She prepared all of the tea things she would need, placing it all on a tray with a small plate of Severus’s favourite biscuits. Once the kettle whistled, she poured hot water over leaves and levitated the whole tray upstairs with her. She found Severus crouching by the fireplace, stoking the flames with the poker, but on seeing her stood and walked over to the lounge to join her. He smiled when he saw she had brought up his favourite biscuits.

‘I never expected this,’ he said, once they had settled on the chair beside one another.

‘What didn’t you expect?’ she asked, as he reached over and pulled her legs up so her feet rested on his lap.

‘To be alive. To have found happiness,’ he listed. ‘To have the love of a wonderful witch. I expected to die before the war was over. I never thought that I was worthy of someone coming back to find me – to give me the antivenin and save my life. I might have made it with the faintest amount of hope… but you did return for me in spite of my cruelty and the actions that made me a villain in the eyes of most. You saw what no one else could.’

She felt tears begin to burn her eyes, and her throat became choked-up with emotions. Severus had so little joy in his life before the end of the war. But she swore to herself that she would make sure he never felt that he might be better off dead again.

‘I always knew there was more to you than met the eye,’ she said, her voice shaking. ‘I always wanted to believe that you were just doing what needed to be done. And I was right, and now I get to have you for my own.’

He looked over at her fondly, his fingers drawing small circles over her ankles, and slipping up to massage her calf gently. ‘You are very singular, witch,’ he purred.

‘I love you, Severus,’ she told him, staring right into his eyes unblinkingly. ‘I need you to know that no matter what, I will always – _always_ be on your side.’

‘I love you too,’ he replied, his emotions shining in his dark eyes.

They remained together that way, drinking tea, and just sitting together and touching for a while longer, until finally Severus had to return to the school and complete his nightly rounds before going to bed. She kissed him, pouring every ounce of her love for him into the tender embrace before he disappeared back to his quarters through the Floo.

Hermione cleared their tea things back down to the kitchen, and spent a little time pottering around the house, keenly feeling the loss of her lover’s presence in the house now that he had returned to school. She did find that during the weeks when she was busy with work, she often was too tired to constantly feel lonely, and especially since she had started socialising with her colleagues, sometimes she was home late and would clean herself before passing out in their bed. But whenever she had to say goodbye to him when Severus left, or she returned from Hogwarts, she always felt bereft.

Sighing heavily, and shaking her head at her own maudlin behaviour, she went to the sitting room to do a little dusting. It remained the same threadbare, untidy room that it always had been - a front to deter unwanted visitors, but she had tried to make it one that was not so unpleasant to arrive in for herself when she came home from work. Deciding she wasn’t done with being social for the night, she threw a little Floo powder into the fireplace and called out Harry’s name to see if he was home. His head appeared into the flames, a small smile on his face.

‘To what do I owe the honour of this call?’ he asked with mock formality.

‘I was just feeling a little lonely,’ she replied with a shrug. ‘Severus came by to surprise me with dinner, but he had to go back to Hogwarts to scare all of the horny students out of having sex in secret corners and classrooms.’

Harry chuckled at that. ‘It wasn’t so long ago we were those hormone driven buggers trying to get away with a sneaky snog or a shag,’ he pointed out.

‘Maybe you and Ron were,’ she said with a huff. ‘I was too busy studying and being ignored by you both.’

‘Well, to be fair, you were never romantically interested in me,’ he replied. ‘And aren’t you sort of glad now that Ron was a bit thick back then? Imagine what your life would be like now if he had actually been smart enough to realise you were a catch.’

Hermione shivered at the thought. She was glad in hindsight that Ron had been so oblivious to her feelings back then – she might never have had the chance to fall in love with Severus. ‘Perish the thought,’ she said, wincing.

‘Want me to come over for a bit?’ Harry asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Alright, move out of the way and I’ll come through,’ he said.

Hermione stood up and moved back from the fireplace, and moments later he best friend stood before her. She gave him a quick hug before they walked through to the kitchen and she made hot chocolate, not in the mood for any more tea or caffeine that day. They sat at the kitchen counter on the stools with their chocolate and biscuits.

‘This place definitely looks way more girly than the last time I was here,’ Harry mused with a grin.

‘No one has ever accused me of being girly before, Harry Potter,’ she said, a warning in her tone.

‘I meant that you could tell a girl lives here now,’ he explained, holding his hands up in defence. ‘There are just a few more homely touches around the place is all. Don’t tell me for one second that Severus had pink dish towels before you came to live here.’

She looked over to the oven at the aforementioned dish towel and giggled a little. ‘Okay, I suppose you have a point there,’ she acquiesced.

‘Or those timber blinds on the windows now,’ he continued. ‘Those are new!’

Hermione felt a flush creep over her cheeks. Severus had given her a free pass to make changes around the place, and she had taken him at his word. He didn’t seem to mind the small improvements she was making to the house, and she hadn’t taken his permission to mean that she could change everything. It was all about compromise.

‘They are practical, and they look nice,’ she said, defending her choice with a huff.

Harry laughed. ‘I’m not criticizing,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I just thought it was interesting that you’ve had such an effect on the place. It was hardly a bachelor’s pad before, but it just looked more like the house of a scholar, not the house of a scholar and his girlfriend. It’s nice.’

Hermione smiled at that assessment. ‘I love this house,’ she said with a grin, looking around the room and remembering all of the times she and Severus had spent cooking together there fondly. ‘It was like a new beginning for me – recompense for all of the time we spent not being teenagers and getting to have normal lives.’

‘I get what you mean,’ he agreed. ‘And I think it does for Severus as well – it was the source of a lot of his childhood misery, but he changed it and made it his own, and then you nursed him back to health here and started your journey to finding comfort and love together. I think he would feel the same way as you do.’

She beamed at her friend, throwing her arms around him in a tight, grateful hug. ‘You have no idea how much it means to me that you are so supportive of our relationship,’ she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

‘Of course I am,’ he said, returning the hug and patting her back. ‘You’ve always had my back, and I will always have yours.’

She let the tears slip from her eyes, the wetness falling onto his shoulder unnoticed. She pulled back from him and sniffed, pushing away the remaining tears with a wipe of her hands over her eyes as she composed herself.

‘So, did you get to see Luna today?’ she asked him.

He smiled and nodded. ‘I ducked over to Hogwarts this afternoon before classes finished for the day and visited with Minerva, and I ate dinner at the castle so I could spend a little time with Luna. I’d only just gotten home when you called.’

‘How is she?’

‘Ready to be done with school I think,’ he replied. ‘I think studying, writing assignments, and trying to write her column for the paper is taking its toll on her, but she doesn’t complain; she smiles and takes it all in her stride, but I can see that she is exhausted under all of that. I told her tonight that we will pause her column for the rest of the school year, or at least until she has sat the N.E.W.Ts so she doesn’t have to stay up all hours trying to fit it all in.’

‘N.E.W.Ts will be soon, won’t they?’

‘Yeah they are sitting them in a month’s time so that they don’t clash with end of year exams or final assignments,’ he answered. ‘The seventh year class is smaller this year than previous ones, so the examiners should have them all marked and have the scores sent out by the time graduation comes around.’

‘That must be a relief,’ she said with a smile, feeling a small pang of regret that she had never been able to sit for her N.E.W.Ts, not that it meant anything now – she was already working towards her future.

‘Are you sad we never got to do it all? Y’know – sit the tests and study and plan?’

‘I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,’ she answered after a moment’s thought. ‘But things like N.E.W.Ts, O.W.Ls and the like sort of lose meaning after everything we went through…’

Harry nodded in understanding, drinking the last of his hot chocolate. ‘Well, I had better head home,’ he said, standing from his stool. ‘I have an early morning tomorrow bossing around my two dim-witted employees.’

Hermione chuckled, accepting his hug and pecking him on the cheek. ‘Sweet dreams,’ she said, standing up from her own seat, and walking around the kitchen to tidy up.

He ducked out of the kitchen and she heard the Floo activate a moment later, leaving her alone once more.

She slowly meandered up to the bedroom, ducking into the bathroom to clean her teeth and complete her nightly ablutions before returning to the large bed and crawling under the covers. She waved her wand, wordlessly casting a warming charm and then extinguished the lights, dropping her wand onto the side table. Laying her head down on her pillow, she reached for Severus’ pillow and hugged it to her body, deeply inhaling his scent and closing her eyes.

Not long after, she fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

\--

To be continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left lovely comments, and to GeekLoveFan for being such a gem and churning out my chapters.


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